


Ultimo Tendo

by Remusdoesntdie (applepieisworthit)



Series: Ultimo Tendo [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Canon Character of Color, Canon-Typical Violence, Consensual Underage Sex, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dating, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hermione as a Prewett, LGBTQ Characters, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Non-hetero relationships, Not Canon Compliant, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood adoption, Romance, Smut, They're both fifteen so they're both underage, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Triad relationship, Underage Drinking, what even is canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:01:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28842033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/applepieisworthit/pseuds/Remusdoesntdie
Summary: The final battle was bloody and scary, and Hermione thought it may never end, until she was hit with an unknown spell that sent her back in time. She wakes in a world not too different, but so very strange and has to navigate her way through it. Adopted into a pureblood family she attends Hogwarts with the ghosts of the past.There's no going back, so it's forward from here, and well, if she couldn't win in the 90s, she's going to win now. After all - Ultimo Tendo, or One Last Try.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/James Potter, Minor Hermione Granger/Frank Longbottom, Minor Sirius Black/Hermione Granger, Minor or Background Relationship(s), canon pairings
Series: Ultimo Tendo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2130636
Comments: 165
Kudos: 263





	1. Introduction OR The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! God, it's been so long since I've had the motivation or anything to write, but this story latched on and wouldn't let go. I have no idea how long this is going to be hah, but I did decide on the pairing finally (as you'll see - I've now tagged it :D)
> 
> Please let me know what you think!!! :D Reviews are motivation haha!

**2nd May 1998** **  
** **Hogwarts Grounds**

Hermione Granger wasn't usually a violent or vicious person, disregarding the jar in her fourth year and the Marietta Edgecombe incident, but the final battle had brought something out in her that she wasn't sure she liked. They’d been fighting for hours now, sweat and blood and tears dripping into her eyes, and coating her skin. She’d lost track of Ron after Fred and Percy had fallen, and Harry had fallen trying to protect Narcissa Malfoy after she had protected him from the first killing curse that struck him and didn't kill him. The second he’d not been so lucky with.

  
The Hogwarts’ grounds were littered with bodies, but she’d become almost desensitised by now. She was battling two Death Eaters, both miles better than her now she was flagging with exhaustion, her spells missing the mark more often than not. She was tempted to give up, even though Harry had defeated Voldemort before dying himself, his death had renewed something in the Death Eaters and, she felt, permanently killed something in her. It was only a sense of duty and pride that kept her fighting to her last breath. 

  
“Weasley!” The shout caught her attention, her head snapping to the side where she saw Ron battling what looked like the Lestrange brothers. It was only a moment of distraction, but it was enough, as she watched a jet of green light streak towards Ron, who could do nothing to stop it, she was hit by a brilliant golden light. It blinded her, and she squinted through it to try and see who had thrown the unknown spell at her.   
  


She toppled backwards towards the grass, her arms wheeling out behind her. When she didn't hit the ground straight away confusion filled her, before horror took over as she recognised the feeling of falling, and whirling backwards; she hadn’t felt such a thing since her third year. Alongside the falling and the horror was something she had never experienced in any of her time-travelling before - pain. She felt like she was being ripped apart, aches and sharp pangs suffused her whole body, she thought she could feel it down to a cellular level.  
  


All of a sudden it stopped, the pain, the falling, and she was lying somewhere unknown, green laid out beneath her and blue above. No screams of the dying and wounded, no horrifying smells, it was quiet and she thought she could hear birds tweeting. This is it, she thought, this is death. It must be because in all her research on time-travel when she was younger there had never been anything to say a spell could do what it seemed to have done to her. With that thought, and her exhaustion finally catching up with her, she passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said in the summary, I'm not expecting to post any more chapters for a while. I've got two written so far, but I wanna have at least ten written before I post anymore. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought :P
> 
> \- I have read so many time travel fics that there will undoubtedly be some influence in this fic from them. I'd especially like to acknowledge two that I've read over and over and absolutely love as there were certain story elements in those that I know influenced my writing and story decisions! I'm trying not to steal anything from them consciously, but I'm aware there may be elements that are obviously heavily influenced *sweats* (Debt of Time by Shayalonnie and Roundabout Destiny by MaryRoyale) -


	2. New family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! We find out what's happened to Hermione this chapter :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this one.

**Unknown date  
Unknown location  
  
** ****

Hermione woke in an unfamiliar room lying on what felt like the softest mattress she’d ever lay on. She kept her eyes closed for a few moments, not wanting to give away to anyone who may be in the room that she was awake yet. For a moment there were no sounds, and then just as she was about to move she heard a door opening.

“Mum?” The voice was young and male, and tentative, “Is she okay?” Footsteps came closer to the bed, stopping near her feet.

A softer voice from closer to her responded, obviously the mother of whomever had entered the room, “She should be fine in time, love.” The voice was aristocratic, and seemed to fill the room. “Go fetch your brother and then you can both run some errands for me. Maybe by the time you are back she will be awake.” The voice had moved away from her, and she could make out some swooshing sounds that must have been the woman walking across the room. The door opened and closed, and Hermione assumed the boy had left. She was proven right when the lighter set of footsteps came back closer, and over to where the woman had first spoken. There was a pause where Hermione pictured the unknown woman looking at her. “I know you are awake, dear.”

Hermione reluctantly opened her eyes, and turned her head slowly to look at the woman sitting next to the bed. Her neck twinged and she winced. She took a moment to look over the woman sitting beside her. She had dark thick curls that were swept away from her face into some complex looking hairstyle, leaving her pale face framed by a few stray curls. Her eyes were a piercing blue that Hermione could almost feel looking into her soul.

“Where-” Her throat was so dry, Hermione had to stop and clear it. The woman handed her a glass of water that Hermione eyed suspiciously.

“I assure it is not poisoned. If I were wishing to kill you, I would not have brought you into my home when you appeared out of nowhere on my lawn.”

Hermione took the glass, and quickly gulped almost half of it down. She set the empty glass on the bedside table beside her, and turned back to the woman. “Where am I?” Hermione took a silent moment of horror to wonder what had happened to her to return her voice to how it sounded when she was 10. The woman took a moment to examine Hermione, leaning back in her chair in a posture that most people may perceive as relaxed. Hermione could see the tense lines of her body however, and the faux-relaxed hand that lay close to where a wand could be concealed.

When the woman’s gaze became too piercing, Hermione looked away, her eyes skimming over the beautiful room. It was bedecked in pale shades of blues and silver, and the furniture all looked antique beneath its white-wash. There were thick curtains pulled most of the way across large windows beside and at the end of the bed, letting in shafts of pale sunlight. There were three doors in the room, all a rich mahogany looking colour. She assumed the one on the far right of the bed must be the door the boy had entered through earlier as that was where she had heard his voice from.

She was drawn back from her contemplation of the room by the woman. “First you will tell me who you are, and how you came to be on my land.”

“I-” Hermione swallowed nervously and frowned briefly. Technically she didn't really know how she had ended up there; she was unsure whether she should let anyone know she wasn't from, whenever she currently was. “I don't really remember much,” Oh Merlin, how she wished that were true, “My name is Hermione. I think...” She sniffed and looked away from the woman’s concerned frown, “...I think I was attacked.”

“Attacked!?” The woman sat up straighter, leaning close to Hermione and resting a hand lightly on Hermione’s exposed left hand. “My dear girl, you must be only 10?”

Hermione’s eyes widened, and she flinched back from the woman, “What?!” Her voice was hoarse, and didn't come out in the shout she had intended, but the woman still pulled back from her slightly.

“I think you better explain yourself properly, young lady.” The woman hesitates for a moment, before offering an olive branch. “As a token to show I will trust you if you trust me, my name is Iphemia, and you are currently at the Prewett estate.”

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up her forehead in surprise, “The Prewett estate?”

“Correct.” The woman - Iphemia - directed a kind smile at Hermione and relaxed back into her chair. She waved her hand at Hermione imperiously. “Now tell me why being 10 shocks you so.”

Hermione stared down at her hands, admittedly smaller and softer than she was used to, now that she was paying attention. “I truly don’t remember much except my name,” she lied, “but I do know that before I was attacked I was nearly 19. Then it’s all blank until I woke up in this bed.”

Iphemia watched her quietly for a few moments, not giving anything away yet. “So somehow, someway you were hit with a spell during the attack, that not only sent you to a different location, but also de-aged you 9 years.” Iphemia put her hand to her mouth for a moment, and Hermione was suddenly struck with the thought that, although she knew she had gone back in time - or at least assumed she had - she did not know when she was.

“Umm, Mrs Prewett?”

Iphemia looked up and smiled kindly at Hermione, “Iphemia, please. What is it, child?”

“I don't think I remember the year?” Hermione looked away, as embarrassed as she was pretending to be. Tears coming to her eyes with her frustration. Merlin, she certainly hadn’t missed the hormones that came with puberty.

“Oh, my dear. Today is the 4th August 1970.”

Hermione wasn't entirely sure what happened, but the next thing she knew she was blinking away the light and looking up into dark brown eyes, their depths swirling with a curious mixture of concern and amusement. The person turned away from her, “She’s awake again, Iphemia. What on earth happened.”

“Oh honestly, Geraint. You think I know? I told the poor girl the date, and she fainted away.”

The man - Geraint, apparently - turned back to look at Hermione, and smiled warmly. “Welcome to Prewett manor, Hermione.” He stepped back from the bed slightly, standing beside his wife, who was still seated in the same chair. “Now, Iphemia has told me you do not remember much. I’m very sorry to hear that. What we do need to know, is whether you have any family? We can’t very well keep you here if they may be looking for you.”

Hermione felt tears come to her eyes unbidden. Her parents were supposed to be safe and obliviated in Australia - some 28 years in the future - but she had no way of knowing whether they had made it safely. The Prewetts saw the tears rising in her eyes, and shared a silent grimace. Iphemia’s voice was soft when she finally spoke. “Were they attacked like you?” Hermione just shook her head, unable to speak.

“They- ” She was unused to coming up with lies on the fly, but knew if she had any chance of getting back to her time (not that she was that eager to with the circumstances surrounding how she came to be here), she would need to get to Hogwarts, and a wizarding family would be her best bet to do so. “They were killed a year ago.”

Iphemia and Geraint shared an indecipherable look, and Hermione almost felt like she was intruding, so she looked away from the couple. “Hermione. We may have a rather unconventional solution for you.” Hermione turned back to look at them, trying to read in their expressions what they were about to say to her. “No magical child should be left alone and with no family, so if you are amenable, we would be happy to adopt you. I'm afraid that no spell or potion exists to re-age you if you have not reverted back by now. Most de-aging spells either last no longer than an hour, or are permanent.”

Hermione’s eyes widened, but she had suspected as much, the spell she had been hit with must have been dark magic, and that usually meant permanent. She took a moment to thank Merlin that she hadn't been hit with something worse. “Thank you,” She tried to hold back the damned tears that were welling behind her eyes, everything from the last year - maybe even seven years in all honesty - catching up with her. “I would be honoured.”

Iphemia and Geraint smiled happily at her, warmth radiating out from both Prewetts. The tears finally spilled out of her eyes and down her face, and she found herself swept up in a tight hug by the Prewett matriarch.   
  


**4th August 1970  
** **Prewett Estate  
**   


The Prewetts left Hermione alone for a while, telling her to come join them for dinner when she was ready in a few hours. It allowed her to get some sleep, even though they had informed her she had apparently arrived the day before and slept the night and half of the morning away. If she was honest with herself, being left alone just allowed her to wallow in her sadness. Miraculously her bag had stayed with her through the final battle, so she had been sorting through everything, and had gotten stuck on the empty snitch. She cradled it in her hands as she curled into a ball and sobbed. Strong silencing charms thrown up around the room meant she was not interrupted as she mourned for the friends she had lost.

A few hours later, once Hermione had dried her tears and freshened up as well as she could, there was a light knock on her door. She sniffed slightly, and pulled herself out of the chair she had placed by the window to stare out of. She pulled the door open, and was shocked into silence momentarily. The boy, probably about 12 years old, standing in front of her looked so much like an amalgam of the Weasley boys that she couldn't help staring at him. Why hadn’t she put together that Prewetts meant related to the Weasleys??

“Hello!” The boy grinned at her, and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the room with him, “I’m Fabian! And mum says you're late for dinner. Well, she didn't say late, she said to come ask if you wanted dinner, but I’ve decided you should come to dinner. So come on.” He turned back and grinned at her, his eyes sparkling as he watched her look around the manor he was dragging her through in awe.

“This house is beautiful!” Hermione exclaimed, allowing herself to be pulled along by, who she now knew was, Ron’s uncle.

“Yeah! Duh! It’s a pureblood manor, what did you expect?” Fabian turned back to her with a cheeky grin. She could see so much of the Weasley twins and Ron in him already, but surprisingly he seemed to be much more similar to Bill and Charlie in terms of his awareness and intelligence regarding the Wizarding World. Hermione found herself reluctantly intrigued.

She was led downstairs and into a grand dining room, where the rest of the family was seated. She received another shock when she recognised a very young Arthur Weasley and his wife Molly Weasley (who was pregnant!) sitting at the table. Iphemia smiled as Fabian all but dragged Hermione into the room after him.

“Here she is, mum.” He announced needlessly.

“Fabian Prewett. I told you to ask her to join us, not drag her along unwillingly.” Iphemia shared a long suffering look with her husband, who in all honesty looked more amused at his son’s antics than he likely should have.

“Come now, Iphemia, Hermione looks like a perfectly capable young witch. If she hadn't wanted to come I'm sure she could have stopped Fabian.”

Iphemia hmphed, but didn't address it further, gesturing lightly to the seat left empty next to Fabian. “Please take a seat, Hermione. We will introduce you to everyone.”

Hermione did as bid and was soon being introduced to the rest of the family. Geraint, who she had informally met, had flaming red hair, just like his children and grandchildren, and a cheeky smile that had also been passed down. Gideon, sitting the other side of her, was Fabian’s identical twin brother, and grinned widely at her, taking her hand and bowing over it when she was introduced to him. Hermione shifted slightly uneasily when she was introduced to her former best friend’s parents, currently 19 and 20, Molly pregnant with whom Hermione knew was Bill - the first of six sons.

As they tucked into their food, delivered by a house elf that Hermione privately scowled about, Iphemia went over the plan. “We will take you into the Ministry tomorrow to process the adoption properly. There is a form of adoption, if you wish, where you may take a potion that will essentially make you into our blood daughter. We would be honoured if you chose to do so, but please don't feel like you must. You will be our daughter either way.”

Hermione nodded warily, unsure about wiping out the last thing she had to remind her of her parents, considering from tomorrow Hermione Granger would be no more. “You don't have to make the decision now Hermione. Think on it, and you can let us know tomorrow.” Geraint reached over Fabian to rest a hand gently on top of hers.

The rest of dinner passed quickly, and before Hermione knew it, she was back in the room she had woken in - having been informed it was now hers - and lying in bed. Tomorrow her world would change again, but for now Hermione Granger closed her eyes and slept.


	3. Getting to know you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!! Excited to post this, I wanted to post it earlier, but I'm going to try to keep to a schedule of posting Ultimo Tendo chapters on a Monday (UK time).

**1st September 1970** **  
** **Prewett Estate**

Hermione Prewett woke the morning of September 1st feeling nervous. She had spent the last month getting to know her new family, being integrated into their lives. Molly and Arthur were already living away at The Burrow, so she only saw them for the family dinners that Iphemia insisted upon once a week.

Surprising herself, she had accepted the offer to take the blood adoption potion, and truly become a Prewett. Also surprising, but to her never ending happiness, it had not changed too much of her physical appearance. Her hair, already long, dark, thick and full of curls and frizz, had lightened slightly in colour taking on a reddish tint and the curls had relaxed slightly to more resemble Iphemia’s beautiful curls. Her eyes had stayed the chocolate brown they already were. She had grown a bit taller and, to her relief, her teeth had shrunk to be straight and in-line with the rest of her teeth.

Now, her new brothers were off to Hogwarts. She had become very close with them in the last month, much to her surprise considering she had always found it hard to make friends, and was sad that they were leaving whilst she would not go to school for another year.

Her door burst open, and Gideon and Fabian fell through, grins on their faces, “‘Mione!” Their voices overlapped, as they both jumped onto her bed with her, laughing when she scowled at them.

“It’s so early!” She screeched, “Get out, you bastards!” She tried to shove Gideon off of her when he flopped across her. He just smirked up at her, grabbed her hands when they pushed at his head and kissed the back of them. She huffed, but ended up smiling sweetly at him when he grinned up at her.

“Aww but you love us ‘Mione, you’re gonna miss us when we’re gone.” Fabian was lying across the bed next to her, a matching grin on his face. He pressed a smacking wet kiss to her cheek, which made her shriek and swat at him.

She ended up smiling though, lying between her brothers happily. “I am gonna miss you, Fab.” Gideon made an offended noise to the right of her, and she rolled her eyes, “You too, Gid.”

They lay in her room, just chatting about everything and nothing until their mum shouted for them from downstairs. The twins bounced quickly out of the room, leaving Hermione to get up and dressed quickly so they could floo to Kings Cross.

As she pulled on the beautiful acromantula silk robes left lying out for her by Twinky, the Prewetts’ house elf, she contemplated the fact that these two boys had changed her life for her. When she’d first arrived a month ago she had sunk into a deep depression, the deaths in the final battle catching up to her. Slowly and surely Fabian and Gideon had pulled her from the depths with their humour and quick wit, and Iphemia had spent hours in the Prewett’s impressive library with her, reading together in silence, or teaching Hermione Pureblood laws and customs, now that she was one.

The house elf issue had come up within her first few days of living with the Prewetts, at which point, Twinky herself had sat Hermione down and, with a stern voice that reminded Hermione eerily of McGonagall, had explained house elf customs to her. By the end of what could only be described as a lecture, Hermione fully understood that a house elf bond, in almost all instances, was beneficial to both the house elf and the family, and without it the house elf was unlikely to live anywhere near as long. 

Iphemia appeared in her doorway, a stern frown on her face. “Ahh Hermione, good. Those menace brothers of yours told me you weren’t awake yet.” Hermione laughed at the annoyed look on Iphemia’s face. “Honestly, one of these days you’d think I’d remember how those boys are!” She spun away from the door, with a few muttered curses that amused Hermione. “We’ll see you downstairs when you’re ready, love. We don’t need to leave until half ten at the earliest.”

Hermione smiled at Iphemia when her mother turned back to look at her, “Of course, mum. See you downstairs.” It had taken a while to get used to calling Iphemia and Geraint her mum and dad, but she had finally adjusted.

**1st September 1970** **  
** **Platform 9 ¾**

When they got to Platform 9 ¾ it was heaving, witches and wizards rushing back and forth and students shouting at each other from one end to the other. Hermione felt a rush at the bustling life of the Wizarding world. It hadn’t felt like this even in her first year before the Second Wizarding War started, still unrecovered from the first war. But now, a few years before the Death Eaters reared their ugly heads, there were people everywhere.

Fabian and Gideon rushed ahead, heedless of their mother’s shouts as they hunted out their friends. Hermione jolted when she recognised the student they met up with, a young Kingsley Shacklebolt. 

Iphemia was muttering under breath about headless brats and how if they kept being so unruly she’d show them the true meaning of headless. Hermione chuckled quietly, but managed to turn it into a cough when Geraint raised an eyebrow at her.

Fabian and Gideon returned back to their group momentarily, Kingsley following after them at a more sedate pace. It was so odd to see Kingsley so young, not even a teenager yet. “Do you boys have everything?” Iphemia demanded as soon as the twins got close enough.

“Yea mum” They chorused together, making grabs for their trunks to try and get out of there as quick as possible. Iphemia would let no such thing happen without embarrassing her boys a bit first. 

“Now, my boys, make sure you behave this year. I never had so much trouble with Molly, Merlin help me.” Fabian and Gideon groaned in unison when she started stroking over their unruly dark red hair, trying to get it to lay flatter.

“Mum, leave off.”

“Yea, mum, come on. We’re gonna be late.”

Iphemia sighed irritably, “Honestly, boys. Pronounce your words correctly. No young lady is going to want to date you with such horrid diction.” Hermione turned away to hide her smirk at her brothers’ grumbling and complaining, and caught her father doing the same. He winked at her when he saw her looking and let his wife torture the boys a bit longer, before he stepped up and put a large hand on each of their shoulders.

“Listen to your mother, boys. Now run along, otherwise no Hogwarts for you.”

Before Iphemia could get another word in they rushed off, taking Kingsley with them, who shouted “Nice to see you again, Mr and Mrs Prewett!” after him as he was pulled away.

“Must you always take away all of my fun, Geraint.” Iphemia asked with a put upon sigh. He just smiled at her as they turned back to the floos to go home. As they waited for the public floo access, Iphemia turned to Geraint, “I’m going to take Hermione to Diagon Alley for a bit of shopping before we head home, there are some things I have need of.”

Geraint nodded agreeably, going through the floo before them to Prewett manor, whilst Hermione and Iphemia went one by one, shouting The Leaky Cauldron as they stepped in the green flames.

Iphemia stepped gracefully out of the floo the other end, dusting the floo powder from her pale green robes with care. Hermione stumbled out of the floo after her, still unused to her 10 year old stature, especially when flooing. Iphemia caught her with a smile, using her wand to siphon any stray powder from Hermione.

“Where are we going, mum?” Hermione asked as she followed Iphemia through the Leaky Cauldron and out the other side, where Iphemia used her wand to open the way to Diagon Alley.

“I thought you may like some new books.” Iphemia smiled down at her new, unexpected, but totally welcome daughter, who beamed back up at her. “Then we’re going to get some more fabric for robes for you, Twinky has nowhere near enough.” Hermione really wanted to protest all this spending of money on her, but knew from experience of the last month that it would be utterly pointless. She was dreading the spoiling that would undoubtedly happen on her birthday later in the month.

She had been baffled by the amount of wealth and land the Prewett family seemed to have, what on earth had happened to it to cause the Weasleys to live quite so frugally?

She followed her mother as she swept down the alley, looking like nothing less than a well-bred Pureblood lady. She had been incredibly surprised to also discover that Iphemia Prewett nee Shafiq had been a Slytherin - that Ron’s grandmother had been a Slytherin! Where had all of the prejudice come from? In fact, when she considered it, Ron’s other grandmother - Cedrella Weasley nee Black - had been a Slytherin too. This she had discovered in one of her mother’s Pureblood lessons when they had gone over the extensive and convoluted Black family tree.

They went into multiple shops running errands, and even into Gringotts before Iphemia led the way into a shop nestled next to Twilfitt and Tattings, which turned out to be an offshoot of the robe makers where they sold fabric. They weren’t in the shop long, as Iphemia had called ahead to secure the fabric she needed. It was as they were leaving the shop that Hermione got a shock.

As they stepped out of the door into the late afternoon September sunshine a tall woman with dark hair in darker robes swept past, a boy trailing after her. Hermione thought nothing of it at first until she turned and walked into another boy, she teetered on her feet for a moment before the boy caught her hand and straightened her up.

“Sorry!” He said, still holding her hand as she brushed her robes straight carefully, “I was trying to catch up with-”

“Sirius! Come here.”

Hermione’s eyes widened at the screech, so recognisable to her after months living at Grimmauld Place. She turned quickly and locked eyes with a terribly beautiful woman, Walburga Black, shock making her stare rudely.

“Sorry.” The boy apologised again. She spun around to stare at him, and found herself face to face with Sirius Black, aged 10, nearly 11. He was shorter than her, with silky black hair and devastatingly grey eyes. “You okay?” He was still holding her hand, and patted it gently to get her back from wherever she had gone to.

She blinked twice, then realised what had happened, taking her hand back from his slowly. “Yes- I- Sorry. I got caught up in my thoughts.”

He winked at her, and suddenly she saw the roguish handsome man he would one day be, before Azkaban stripped his youth and beauty from him. “Girls usually get caught up in staring at me. You're not the first.” He grinned lopsidedly at her, and she rolled her eyes.

“SIRIUS BLACK!” Walburga Black, the terrifying and completely awful mother of Sirius, had gotten closer now. “I won’t tell you again!”

Sirius didn't even acknowledge his mother’s words, still grinning at Hermione. “That’s me by the way,” He stuck his hand out, “Sirius Black,” when she put her hand in his, he bent over it and pressed a kiss to the back of it, “At your service.”

She laughed lightly, pulling her hand back again, “Hermione Prewett, at yours.” She dropped into a small courtesy like her mother had taught her. Before either of them could say a word more, Iphemia had stepped out of Twilfitt and Tattings behind them.

“Ah, Hermione. We need to be going along to Obscurus Books if you want to have a chance to look around before they close.” She came closer and stepped ‘round Sirius to stand behind Hermione. “And who is this lovely young gentleman?”

Hermione grinned up at her mother, but before she could say anything Walburga had appeared out of nowhere, striding up to their little group. “Sirius,” she hissed, somehow making his name sound like a curse, “What are you doing!?” She didn't give Sirius a chance to answer before she was turning to face Hermione and Iphemia. She studied Hermione for a moment before dismissing her and turning her narrowed eyes on Iphemia. It seemed to take her a second, then her eyes widened slightly, “Iphemia Prewett.”

Iphemia smiled coldly at Walburga, “Walburga. How… lovely… to see you.” Sirius snorted, and Hermione smiled slightly at the provocation. “I see you’re out shopping. With your children?” Iphemia’s gaze flickered briefly to Sirius, whose nose scrunched at the description.

“The Heir to the House of Black, yes.” Walburga’s hand settled on Sirius’ shoulder and tightened, Sirius wincing as her sharp talons dug in. “Sirius.” Hermione felt a surprising anger well up in her at the sight of this woman who had been so cruel to her son, acting like he was something to her, when she couldn't look at him without sneering.

“Ah yes, I remember the announcements. Lucretia said you had another too?” Iphemia’s tone was cool and detached and Hermione marvelled that she hadn’t yet seen her mother be quite so Slytherin.

A younger boy peeked his head out from behind Walburga, clinging close to both his mother and older brother. “This is Regulus.” She ran her hand down his black hair, a parody of a loving touch, “Two noble sons for the House of Black.” She smiled cruelly, an expression that looked rather horrifying amongst the stern lines of her face. “Now. I must be off.” She swept away, Regulus trailing after her, Sirius only following along when she reached back and took a fistful of his robes.

Hermione wondered idly why Walburga had even deigned to speak to them as her and Iphemia shared a look. As they walked down the Alley to Obscurus Books, she asked. “Mother, why would Walburga Black even want to speak so civilly to us?”

Iphemia took a moment to think as they stepped into the book store, “Well, even though us Prewetts are almost always Gryffindors, and have more sympathy for half-bloods and Muggleborns than most Purebloods, we are a part of the sacred 28. Which to some pureblood families is sacrosanct. And of course your aunt Lucretia is also Sirius’ aunt. Her brother is Orion Black, the next patriarch to House Black.” Hermione nodded in understanding. The Black family tree was convoluted and confusing.

They ended their day with a visit to the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch, and then floo’d home. Hermione was glad they hadn’t ran into anyone else on their outing, as Sirius had been enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not sure how long this is going to be haha, but I've got 16 chapters written so far and I'm only up to half-way through 4th year :D
> 
> Let me know what you thought!


	4. Start of something new

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet another one of our faves this chapter :D Getting closer to Hermione finally going off to Hogwarts! We're time-skipping quite quickly over her time before Hogwarts haha!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The love for this fic so far is so overwhelming and lovely!!! You're all amazing people, and that's why I couldn't wait til Monday to post the next chapter hehe!
> 
> ALSO!!! If you're curious, any extra stuff that doesn't fit in this story will be posted to the second in the Ultimo Tendo series - currently I've just posted my fancasts for the characters.

**19th September 1970** **  
** **Prewett Estate**

Hermione’s 11th birthday came around surprisingly quickly. When her letter arrived with the morning post she cradled the precious parchment in her hands and had to inhale to stop from crying. This was the beginning, again, and she was going to do it better this time. She was going to fix everything.

She handed the letter over to Iphemia, who took it from her daughter with a gentle smile. “This is your second time isn’t it?” Hermione was briefly surprised, but knew she probably shouldn't be, her mother was a Slytherin after all.

“At Hogwarts?” Hermione clarified, wanting to be certain.

“Of course, dear. You were eighteen before they de-aged you against your will after all. You must have gone to some kind of schooling?”

Hermione nodded, accepting the logic. Her parents were the only two who knew she hadn’t always been this young, and they had all agreed to keep it that way. She had not told even them about her time-travelling mishaps. “I did yes. It’s something else I don't remember though.” She hated lying to her parents, but it felt like another piece of the charade she had to keep up. It was the same reason she had found a recipe for a concealment potion and brewed and took it religiously every week to keep her scars covered. Once she was able to get to Hogwarts and research a strong enough glamour to cover the scars, it would be much easier, but this was what she had for now.

They both smiled kindly at her, going back to the beautiful breakfast Twinky had laid out for them. Iphemia was going through the list slowly, her lips pursed as she read the letter. Geraint had the Daily Prophet open in front of him, and every few minutes he would scoff in disbelief at something written in there. When he did, Hermione and Iphemia exchanged amused smiles.

The letter reminded her of something, “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Hermione said as breakfast came to an end and Iphemia folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. She made an encouraging gesture at Hermione to get her to go on. “How are we going to explain you suddenly having a daughter you didn't have before?”

Geraint smiled, and rolled his eyes, “Well, once you have the male heir people seem to stop caring, especially in Pureblood society. And we have two.” He shrugged, the Prewetts were not a family that had ever really cared too much about following many Pureblood rituals or customs, even though they did ensure their kids were trained in, and understood, them. “People won’t even realise that they’d missed us having a fourth child.”

Iphemia laughed, “So caught up in their own worries and trifles that they would be so ashamed if someone even suggested they had missed something important.”

The rest of Hermione’s birthday passed by quickly. Geraint had taken the day off from running the estate, so she and her parents spent the day together, reading and baking and generally enjoying each other’s company. She opened a few lovely presents (mostly books, which she was overjoyed with), and they had a delicious dinner cooked by Twinky.

**25th December 1970** **  
** **Prewett Estate**

Christmas at the Prewett estate was a lively affair, and it made Hermione’s heart both ache painfully and swell with love. It reminded her of Christmases and dinners at the Weasleys and all the love that was contained there.

The twins had arrived home from Hogwarts a couple of weeks before and had brought with them a level of noise that hadn’t filled the manor for the last few months. Molly and Arthur had joined them early that morning for the amazing breakfast spread Twinky had laid out, and glasses of bucks fizz for the adults, excepting Molly.

Now they were gathered in the large drawing room, a fire burning in the grate, and a large beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the corner with presents piled below it, and animated ornaments and a twinkling star decorating it. 

William, a bubbling month old baby boy - whom Hermione knew in the future as Bill - was balanced on his grandmother’s knee babbling and giggling at her, as she babbled back, a large grin on her face. The family was watching with sappy smiles.

When William went down for his nap, the presents were handed round to everyone and soon the room was filled with flying bits of glittery wrapping paper and laughs and shouts of thanks. Hermione got more books, which she was glad for considering she had already read through all of her birthday books - and a large part of the Prewett’s library -, and a large pile of sweets courtesy of Fab and Gid. 

They headed through to the dining room when they were done with the presents, everyone in lumpy jumpers with initials stitched on the front, Molly’s first attempt at knitting. Hermione had tried hard to conceal her tears over the first Weasley jumper she’d ever received. Twinky had laid on an amazing Christmas dinner with roast Cockerel, goose fat potatoes, beautiful roasted carrots and parsnips, buttered green veg, and rich gravy. They all dug in with vigour, stuffing themselves. The table was filled with laughter and life, and Hermione revelled in it.

“Here, ‘Mione.” A shiny gold and silver cracker was waved in her face, one of her brothers grinning at the other end of it, “Pull a cracker with me!”

She couldn't help but grin back at Fabian, though she did narrow her eyes at him suspiciously, “I’m not going to get hit with some nasty prank if I pull this with you am I?”

Fabian gasped dramatically, fluttering his hand over his chest in some parody of a lady with delicate sensibilities, “As if I would ever do such a thing to my dearest younger sister.” He ignored the amused snort of his father and Arthur, and the offended scoff of his older sister, on whom he and Gideon had pulled multiple pranks over the years.

Hermione stared at him a moment longer, before acquiescing, “Fine, but just know if you get me, I’ll get you back ten times worse.” She grinned at Fabian, who had the good sense to look slightly worried. She heard Iphemia mutter ‘That’s my girl’ in the background.

Hermione grasped the other end of the cracker still being dangled from Fabian’s fingers and made eye contact as they both pulled either end of the cracker. Between them miniature fireworks - harmless, but pretty - burst out the centre of the cracker as it was pulled apart, with a surprisingly loud bang and a few high-pitched hisses. Hermione, triumphantly holding the larger half, quickly pulled out the red papery crown - not that different from the ones contained in the Muggle crackers, except it had tiny animated reindeer prancing all over it - the obligatory bad joke, and a tiny pack of exploding snap cards.

Fabian pouted at her as she placed the crown on her head, “Not gonna give me anything from the cracker, ‘Mione. You are a cruel sister.” 

Hermione laughed and gestured at the silver crown placed jauntily on his unruly red hair, little silver bells making a gentle tinkling sound whenever he moved, “I'm sorry, haven’t you already had yours?”

“No! This was Gid’s that I stole!” 

Gideon, unaware until now that he’d been robbed of his crown, protested with a loud “Hey!” and snatched the crown back off Fabian’s head to jam onto his own. It resulted in Fabian jumping out his seat and tackling Gideon to the floor in the effort to get back his stolen crown. They tussled for a few moments, half-bitten shouts filling the room. 

Iphemia sighed, and with a wave of her wand both boys were frozen and silenced. She left them like that for a few minutes, “Merlin, isn't the silence blissful.” Geraint chuckled, Iphemia winked at her husband and daughters when she made eye contact with them. “I suppose I should unfreeze them shouldn't I?” She waved her wand, and the twins collapsed unfrozen to the floor in a heap. 

“Gah!” “Fuck!” Their shouts blended together as they tumbled together.

“Boys! Language!” Iphemia scolded with a roll of her eyes as they pulled themselves laughing from the ground, Gideon with the crown perched jauntily and triumphantly on his head. Fabian mock-scowled at his brother until Geraint rolled his eyes at his sons’ antics and duplicated the crown.

The rest of Christmas passed in a whirlwind of laughter and love and happiness. A beautiful day spent with her new family.

**20th August 1971** **  
** **Diagon Alley - London**

Hermione was amazed by how quickly the year passed and it was suddenly August and nearly time for her to start at Hogwarts for the second first time. They’d put off travelling to Diagon Alley until August even though she’d received her letter nearly a year ago, because her parents wanted her to get the full experience of a bustling Diagon Alley just before Hogwarts started back.

They floo’d into the Leaky Cauldron as a family, Fabian and Gideon tumbling through first followed by Hermione, and then their parents. They went to Gringotts as one and then decided to divide and conquer. Iphemia headed to Flourish and Blotts, three book lists in hand, to collect their books. Geraint headed off in search of cauldrons, and quills and any potion ingredients needed. This left the three children standing together on the steps of Gringotts, a small pouch of galleons each to spend. 

Fabian and Gideon took off for Gamble and Japes, the joke shop, with no word to each other, and shouted “See you at Florean’s!” for Hermione. She wandered the Alley aimlessly for a little bit, she didn't need to get a wand as she had arrived back in 1970 with her wand clutched tightly in her hand.

Soon her wandering led her to The Magical Menagerie, she stared in the window for a few moments, before heading inside. She had just finished purchasing a gorgeous fluffy black and white half-kneazle kitten and all the paraphernalia that went with it, when she heard a voice she thought she’d forgotten. Younger and slightly stranger sounding than she remembered it, but she spun on the spot, hoping for a glimpse of him.

Her heart beat fast in her chest, and rose into her throat when she spotted the messy black hair. She had taken multiple steps towards him when she suddenly remembered she was in the 70s, not the 90s. This was not Harry, however much she wished to see the best friend forever lost to her - at least until he was born again.

She was too close and couldn't step back to hide when the boy spun around, and for a second she thought she was looking into Harry’s face, until she realised the eyes she was staring into were hazel, not green, and the glasses framing those eyes were square and decidedly not broken.

Her breath caught in her chest, choking her, and she found herself dumbstruck. Again, she had forgotten what being in this time meant. It had been almost a year since she ran into Sirius, and she had somehow managed to forget in that time that she would be attending Hogwarts with the legendary Marauders. 

There in front of her; alive, whole, healthy, and young, was James Potter. The eleven year old future father of her best friend. He stuck his hand out, unphased by her unattractive gaping.

“Hi! Cute kitten” His voice was so alike Harry’s that it hurt, but different enough that she couldn't help but wish it was the same. “I'm James Potter!”

She took his hand instinctively, a blush rising unbidden to her cheeks when he grinned cheekily at her, “Hermione Prewett.”

“Are you gonna be going to Hogwarts?”

Before she could pull herself together enough to answer his question, a beautiful woman had approached from behind James. Dark red, almost black, curls, held back from her face by diamond encrusted combs, and piercing silvery-grey eyes. She was tall, with sharp cheekbones and an aristocratic nose, she looked scarily like her grand-niece, but for the fact that her eyes were full of light and life, and there was a faint smile hovering around her lips.

“It’s ‘going to’ James, not ‘gonna’. Honestly, anyone would think we had raised you in a barn.” She rested her hand lightly on his shoulder, smiling when he groaned in embarrassment, “I apologise for my son’s abysmal manners. Dorea Potter, and who might you be.” Again Hermione automatically shook her hand when Dorea held it out to her. This was Harry’s grandmother.

Sheepishly she realised she had yet to say anything, and a blush rose in her cheeks, “Sorry, Hermione Prewett. Pleasure to meet you.” Dorea smiled encouragingly, running a hand over James’ unruly hair trying to get it to lay a little flatter. He ducked away from her hand, grumbling embarrassedly. 

“Prewett, hmm. Iphemia and Geraint’s?” Dorea had a brief puzzled look about her. “Lucretia and Ignatius haven’t had any children still to my knowledge.” Hermione nodded, shifting under Dorea’s piercing stare. “I was unaware they had had any more children after those twins of theirs.” She shrugged gracefully.

“Yes, they’re my older brothers.” Dorea smiled encouragingly. 

“Well, it was lovely to meet you, Hermione. We really must be going to gather the rest of James’ school things. But I do hope we’ll be seeing more of each other.” With that Dorea swept away, beckoning to James for him to follow. Something he completely ignored.

She turned back to look at him, and he grinned at her again, as though the whole surreal interaction with his mother hadn’t just happened. “I'm going to be in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart and all that.” He thrust his arm up as if holding a sword, an expression on his face that he probably thought was gallant or some such rot. Hermione chuckled helplessly, “Where are you gonna be,” He looked her up and down briefly, “Not Slytherin I hope.”

Hermione laughed and shook her head, “No one knows where they’re going to be, that’s up to the sorting hat!” 

“Nah! I'm a Potter, we’re always Gryffindors!” Hermione, of course, knew he was correct, but she’d quite enjoyed the indignant look on his face when she dared suggest he might not be a Gryffindor.

“Well, if we’re going off that logic, I’ll be a Gryffindor too. Prewett’s usually are.” She didn't mention to him that it really didn't matter what the sorting hat said, she was determined she needed to be in Gryffindor to change things.

He grinned unrepentantly, “Cool!”

“‘Mione! There you are! Mum’s going spare, you were s’posed to meet us at Florean’s 10 minutes ago!” Fabian appeared beside, Gideon strolling in much more relaxed behind him.

“Oh! I'm sorry, I got distracted.” Her brothers narrowed their eyes at her, and then, as one, turned a glare on James.

“Distracted, huh?”

“You’re a little young for boys to be distracting you, ‘Mione.”

James blushed a bright red, and stuttered for a moment, “I should, I should go find my mum.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder, and started backing away quickly, unwilling to turn his back on the twins, who were managing to look rather threatening.

“Yea, you do that.” They both kept their glare on him until he’d backed out of the shop and disappeared out of sight.

Hermione huffed, smacked them both ‘round the back of the head and marched out of the shop ahead of them, the cage with her new kitten in one hand, ignoring them completely when they ran after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!
> 
> If you're liking this fic, please go give my other current Jamione WIP A Vi Magicae a read, it's also time travel - but James survives and comes forward in time. I'm really proud of it and I'd really appreciate it :D 
> 
> Love you guys!!


	5. Hogwarts Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooh she's finally on her way to Hogwarts (for the second time haha!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your lovely comments and kudoses!
> 
> Hermione's first few years at Hogwarts are going to have quite a few big time skips until we get to the juicier stuff of her 4th year onwards, so the next few chapters are probably going to be only a couple chapters per year (though there’s a bit more for first year).

**1st September 1971** **  
****10:30am** **  
****Platform 9 ¾**

When the day came to go to Hogwarts again Hermione couldn't decide whether she was excited for it, or dreading it. The weather seemed to be trying to do its best to imitate her feelings, as by the time they floo’d onto Platform 9 ¾ at 10:30am, it had chucked it down, been sunny, and was currently so windy that the wind was howling down the tunnel around the Hogwarts Express.

Iphemia and Geraint ushered their three children onto the train as quickly as possible with last minute advice (and reprimands for the twins), and tight hugs. They were hurrying to get out of the wind as soon as possible. When they were on the train, Hermione hung out the window briefly, "I’ll miss you!" She shouted, uncaring who heard her.

"And you, darling!" Her mother shouted back, before the elder Prewetts were hurrying off the platform, eager to get away from the wind.

Hermione trailed after her brothers, navigating past students pulling their trunks onto the train all the way down. They finally came to a compartment like any other down the train, and the boys entered, spreading themselves out across the seats indolently. Hermione hovered in the doorway for a second, unsure.

"You coming in, ‘Mione?" Gideon finally asked from his sprawled position, lying in such a way that his head was now dangling off the end of the seat so he was looking at her upside down.

"I might go find my own compartment, get to know some other first years."

Fabian grinned, matching the smile already on his brother’s face. Hermione, like with the Weasley twins, was always easily able to tell the difference between the identical twins. "Aww, she’s bored of us already Gid. Doesn't wanna spend any time with her loving brothers."

"We see how it is, love. As soon as there’s other options. Leave us for anyone else!" Gideon threw his hand over his forehead in a dramatic pose, and immediately lost the careful balance he’d had on the bench, tumbling to the floor with a loud "Fuck!" 

Fabian lost it, cackling down at his brother, who flipped him two fingers, "Merlin! Wish I’d had a camera!" 

Hermione tried to look stern, but obviously didn't achieve it as they both just grinned unrepentantly at her. She huffed, rolled her eyes and stomped out the room, ignoring the loud laughter of her brothers behind her.

She wandered the train for a few minutes, before coming across the compartment at the back of the train where she, Harry, and Ron had always sat. She smiled nostalgically, and considering it was still empty, took a seat after stowing her trunk away in the overhead racks. She pulled out a large tome about dark magic that she had found tucked in the back of the Prewett library, the cover disguised innocuously. 

She didn't open the book yet, settling it in her lap and staring out the window of the compartment as the train started to pull away from the station. She happily watched as the tall buildings of London sped by the windows, Canary Wharf - the tallest building by the 90s - conspicuously absent from the skyline.

"Hello?" She was so engrossed in her window-gazing that the sound of a voice startled her, causing her book to tumble to the floor, "Oh crap! I'm sorry!"

Hermione quickly bent down to pick up her book, not looking at whoever was standing in the door yet, as she dusted the book off quickly, "It’s quite alright, I was in my own world." She laughed quietly, turning to look at the person standing at the door. The laugh died in her throat as she locked eyes with James Potter. "Oh! Hello again!"

"Hermione right!" James exclaimed happily. "Can I join?" He gestured to the seat across from her.

"Of course. I’d love for you to join me!" She smiled happily, a blush dusting her cheeks when he grinned cheekily as he flopped into the seat across from her. 

They chatted quietly for a while, but then she found herself unintentionally tuning him out after a few minutes, her mind whirling with all of the possibilities. 

She blinked back to herself when Sirius Black swung into the room, and flopped down onto the empty bench beside her with a grin, "Yo!" He exclaimed, much too loudly for how quiet the room had been before he entered. She frowned, wondering where on earth he’d picked up the Muggle slang. He turned a grin on Hermione, and then started slightly, "Hey! I know you!"

She laughed, "Yea, we met last year in Diagon Alley."

His grin widened, "A Prewett right!"

"Hermione." James announced with a proud grin.

"Your name is Hermione?" Sirius said with a smirk. James scoffed and flipped Sirius the bird.

Before anything more could be said, there was a knock on the door to the compartment, and they all looked up to see a pretty redhead with startling green eyes who could only be Lily Evans standing there. "Do you mind if I join you?" Lily’s voice was soft and she smiled shyly at them.

Hermione shook her head, "Of course not, come in." She smiled at her kindly as she sat down, Lily beamed back, though Hermione noticed tears swimming in her eyes. Lily took the other seat against the window opposite Hermione, which had been vacated when James scooted across to joke around with Sirius. "I’m Hermione by the way."

"Lily." Her voice was small and her chin wobbled a little, but she kept it firm and pulled a smile to her lips.

Hermione turned back to her book after a few moments of comfortable silence between the two (broken only by the boisterous laughing and shouting from Sirius and James next to them). The compartment door opened again not long later and a lanky boy with thin black hair that fell into his face, surprisingly piercing dark eyes, and a hooked nose slipped in, taking a seat quickly and quietly next to where Lily was sitting hunched over, her face pressed against the windowpane.

Hermione watched surreptitiously as Lily glanced over at Severus Snape, and then looked back out of the window. It was more obvious now that she’d been crying. Hermione probably should feel bad for eavesdropping, but couldn't help her curiosity, keeping her eyes fixed on her book.

"I don't want to talk to you," Lily said in a constricted voice.

Severus’ perpetual frown deepened, "Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." Hermione stifled her gasp, Petunia Dursley had gotten a letter from Dumbledore as a kid? 

"So what?"

Lily threw him a look of deep dislike. "So she's my sister!"

"She's only a--" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him. Hermione however, did, and her instinctive dislike of the boy flared up.

"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" Hermione suppressed her happy grin over the same exhilarating thought.

Lily nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled. "You'd better be in Slytherin," Snape said after a brief moment of silence between them, encouraged that she had brightened a little.

"Slytherin?" James, who had shown no interest at all in Lily or Snape until that point, looked around at the word, and Hermione winced, knowing whatever was about to happen was the beginning of a decades long animosity. “Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?” James asked Sirius with a very exaggerated grimace, laughing at the thought derisively. 

Sirius grimaced too, but no smile passed his lips for once. “My whole family have been in Slytherin,” he finally said.

"Blimey," James said, with a laugh, “And I thought you seemed all right!”

Sirius grinned, “Maybe I'll break the tradition”, He lounged across the seat even more indolently than he already was, resting his head across Hermione’s lap. She lifted her hands out of the way, and frowned down at him, though it relaxed into a smile when he grinned unrepentantly up at her. “Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?” He asked, turning back to James. Hermione jolted, surprised when he reached up and grabbed her hand to hold in his.

James lifted an invisible sword, he made a face that after a few seconds of wondering Hermione realised was supposed to be chivalrous. “Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad.” Snape made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him with the viciousness of an eleven year old boy insulted over something important to them. “Got a problem with that?”

“No,” Snape denied, though his sneer said otherwise. “If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-.” His scathing tone said that this would definitely be the stupider choice.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius, stepping in angrily to defend his new friend. Hermione’s hand tightened around his briefly, as she tried to stop herself from joining - anything she tried or said right now would only make the situation worse and add fuel to an already burning fire.

James roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." She stood swiftly from her seat, grabbed Snape's hand and pulled him out of the compartment after her.

"Oooooo..." James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice together; James sticking his leg out as they left to try and trip Snape.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called after them jeering, to James’ laughter.

Hermione sighed angrily, yanking her hand out of Sirius’ and pushing him away from her lap. He sat up, and sent her a wounded look, a pout on his pretty lips. She pursed hers in annoyance and sent both of them a disappointed look, knowing it would work better with them than anger. "That wasn’t very nice. What did they do to you?" They both looked rightly chastised when she scolded them, trying to avoid meeting her eyes.

“They’re both future Slytherins!” James finally exclaimed, like that truly excused anything.

“So what! That doesn't mean they're bad people!” Hermione self-righteously declared, “My mother was a Slytherin, and she’s lovely!”

James winced and apologised quietly to her, though Hermione could tell that - just like his son with that tone of voice - he didn't really mean it. She sighed and went back to her book, ignoring the two boys for a while as they went back to joking together after a brief contemplative silence. 

The hours on the train passed rather quickly, Hermione warming back up to the boys, so that by the time the trolley lady came ‘round she had put away her book and was playing a game of exploding snap with them energetically. 

About an hour before they were due to arrive at Hogsmeade station, after they’d all gotten changed into their robes - Sirius managing to wear them as casually as he possibly could - Fabian and Gideon arrived at the door of their compartment, matching grins on their faces. 

“Ahh ‘Mione, there you are!”

“Yea, jeez ‘Mione. Thought you’d disappeared from the bloody train altogether!” Gideon mock-scolded her as he flopped down onto the bench beside her, pushing his way between her and Sirius. Fabian lounged against the doorway to the compartment, sending a suspicious glare at Sirius who had been sitting too close to Hermione in his opinion.

“I haven’t left this compartment for the last seven hours, and you’ve only just found me.” She raised a judging eyebrow at them both, “Rather pathetic really that it’s taken you so long to find me.” She smirked when her brothers gaped, betrayed, at her, and James and Sirius sent her admiring looks. Those looks caused identical threatening glares to appear on Fabian and Gideon’s faces, something that made Hermione roll her eyes.

“How dare!”

“The audacity!”

“Our own sister!”

“Betrayed!” At the last Gideon collapsed dramatically across her lap, affecting the same position he’d tried earlier that same train ride, with his hand held to his forehead. At least this time he didn't fall to the floor.

“Shut up, both of you!” She rolled her eyes, but still rested her hand affectionately against Gideon’s fiery hair and ran her fingers lightly through it.

“Everything we do, we do for you, and then to be struck down so viciously!”

She chuckled, “Bloody dramatic, the both of you. No wonder mother is glad to get rid of you for most of the year.” She noticed James and Sirius both desperately stifling their laughter, and grinned unrepentantly when the twins gasped dramatically again.

“But ‘Mione!”

“So cruel to us, dear sister.”

“Would you both be quiet for a moment.” Eerily in-sync they both mimed zipping their lips shut, and winked at her. “Boys these are my new friends, James Potter and Sirius Black. James, Sirius, these are my older brothers Fabian and Gideon Prewett. Obnoxious arseholes, but for some reason I love them anyway.” They both made protesting noises, but didn't really object too much.

“Nice to meet you.” They finally said, again creepily in-sync.

“Anyway ‘Mione, we came to find you to make sure you were ready, so we’ll leave you alone.” Gideon stood up from her lap, and the twins both narrowed their eyes at the other boys in the compartment.

“But not too alone.” Fabian finished, backing out of the compartment and trying to keep his suspicious gaze locked on both James and Sirius at once - a feat made rather impossible by the fact that they were sitting opposite each other so his eyes were flicking back and forth between them

Hermione rolled her eyes, something she found herself doing much too often around her brothers, and chuckled as they finally made their way out of the compartment and away down the train.

A voice echoed through the train at that moment; _We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got 22 chapters written so far and I'm up to summer after 4th year! I think this might end up being a lot longer than I expected haha! [I've got 5 pages from my timeline plan written, but still have 7 and a half pages of my timeline left to write hah :O]
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one!
> 
> \-- The scene on the train with Lily and Snape was lifted almost word for word in terms of their dialogue from the scene in Deathly Hallows, though of course I did edit it slightly --


	6. The sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's finally at Hogwarts!! Getting sorted this chapter :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so weird to be posting her starting her first year when I'm currently writing the beginning of fifth year haha :D Thanks everyone for your bloody amazing reviews! (and for all the kudoses).

**1st September 1971** **  
****8pm** **  
** **Hogsmeade Station**

The train pulled into the station with a sharp jolt, sending Hermione falling into James with an oof. Sirius laughed loudly as they struggled to disentangle themselves from each other, James cursing, and Hermione glaring alternately between the two future Marauders.

Sirius preceded them out of the train, still chuckling every few seconds when he glanced back at them. Hermione finally rolled her eyes, jogging to catch up with him just so she could smack him ‘round the back of the head, “Oh, do shut up.”

It, of course, had no effect on Sirius who just grinned unrepentantly and skipped ahead to where Hagrid was shouting for the first years to assemble around him. The walk down to the shore and consequent ride in the boats and first view of Hogwarts once the boats properly pulled out into the lake was just as much a revelation and awe-filling seeing it the second time as it was the first. 

She was sharing a boat with James, Sirius, and a dark haired boy she vaguely recognised. When the boats pulled up at the other end in the cave Sirius and James jumped out without a by your leave, the other boy rolled his eyes and after stepping out gracefully reached back a hand to help Hermione out of the boat.

“They wouldn't know how to treat a lady if they tried.” He said with a small grin, and once she’d fully stepped out of the boat he bowed lightly over her hand, “Frank Longbottom, lovely to meet you…”

“Oh!” Hermione felt a light blush rising to her cheeks and silently scolded herself. She really needed to stop being so enamoured with her future friends’ fathers. “Hermione Prewett. The pleasure is all mine.” He offered her his arm gallantly and escorted her up the slippery stairs into the small room they waited for the sorting in. 

James shot her a sour look she couldn't understand, and then settled for glowering at Frank, but she ignored him, realising after a moment that he was jealous. She had no time to deal with eleven year old boy’s feelings right now.

Just then the door opened and Professor McGonagall stepped into the room, sporting the same stern look she always did. “Welcome to Hogwarts, the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony, because while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.”

Hermione was quite amused to find that the Deputy Headmistress’ speech was completely unchanged from the same speech Hermione had heard 20 years in the future. Well, if something isn't broke don't fix it, as they say.

“The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points.” Hermione couldn't stop herself from sending James and Sirius a look at that. “At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.”

“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.”

She sent a sharp look at James and Sirius who were now goofing around in the back of the room, “I will be back in a few minutes to collect you all.”

“What do you think we have to do then?” Sirius asked with a gleeful grin on his face.

“Ten galleons we have to have a duel.”

“Nah that’s boring, mate!” Sirius winked when Hermione shot him a scathing look. “It’ll be something cool like battling some kind of creature!”

“Oh honestly!” Lily Evans finally snapped, turning to glare at the two boys, “It’s a sorting hat! Not some stupid battle!”

She turned her back on their spluttering, ignoring them when they started mimicking her behind her back. Hermione rolled her eyes, and reached over to flick them both lightly from where she was still standing beside Frank.

They both just grinned cheekily at her, and she noticed James nudge the boy who was standing next to him, who chuckled tentatively, obviously nervous. It took Hermione a few moments of looking at the boy, to realise with a jolt that the boy must be a young Peter Pettigrew, with pale blue, slightly watery, eyes, and curly light brown hair. Her eyes narrowed and she fought to not hiss in anger. After all, for now he was just a timid boy, not a heartless Death Eater. Maybe she could even save him too.

Before she could contemplate it any more, Professor McGonagall entered the room again, and Frank was nudging her lightly, a guiding hand resting on her elbow as they entered the Great Hall in pairs, walking between the quiet House tables. She glanced over at the Gryffindor table where she’d be going if she had any say in it, and cringed awkwardly when the twins stood from their seats and waved madly at her. Beside her Frank let out a quiet laugh, and whispered, “Your brothers?” She just nodded with a little grimace.

Despite how many times she’d seen the Great Hall in her six years of tutelage at Hogwarts it never failed to awe her. She couldn't help staring up at the beautiful night sky spread above them, splattered with constellations and the nearly full moon. At that she jolted when she realised she hadn't seen hide nor hair (she snickered at the unintentional pun) of Remus, who would be somewhere in the crowd of small first years now gathered before the sorting hat and stool.

Professor McGonagall unfurled a long scroll and, with a quiet clearing of her throat caught the attention of all the whispering students in the room.

“Abbott, Abelard!”

A small boy with mousy brown hair stepped forward, sitting on the stool carefully. The hat had barely touched his head before HUFFLEPUFF! was shouted out. The table burst into cheers as he shyly hurried over to join them.

Aubrey, Bertram went to Ravenclaw, Avery, Marcus went to Slytherin (unsurprisingly considering she recognised his name as a future Death Eater), Bagman, Otto (a name that surprised Hermione to hear here and now) became the second Ravenclaw to join the Blue and Bronze table.

“Black, Sirius!”

Hermione jerked in surprise slightly, not expecting it to get to him so quickly. She turned to watch the young version of her best friend’s godfather swallow convulsively and with a stubborn and brave tilt of his chin that made her grin, walk to the stool and Sorting Hat.

He sat there for nearly a full minute, clearly arguing with the Hat going by the moody frown on his face. Finally, with a triumphant grin from Sirius, the Hat shouted GRYFFINDOR!.

He sent a triumphant grin towards James and Hermione and practically skipped over to the Gryffindor table sending the middle finger over his shoulder at the Slytherin table that every other Black on record had been sent to. There was an angry gasp from Professor McGonagall and Hermione knew the House would be losing some points before the end of the night. The shocked silence in the room was palpable.

“Brown, Alice!” Was the next name called out by Professor McGonagall. When Hermione watched the pretty young blonde girl walk up the steps to the stool, she was shocked to see the stark resemblance to Neville. She was quickly sorted into Gryffindor like her future son. 

Brown, Andrew, Alice’s twin brother from the looks of it, was quickly sorted into Hufflepuff. Bulstrode, Felicia followed him. More students were sent between the different House tables, and then Hermione watched the sad scene of Lily being sorted away from a devastated looking Severus Snape into Gryffindor.

Hermione zoned out for a few minutes whilst more students got sorted, until “Longbottom, Frank!” was called. Beside Hermione, Frank shifted nervously for a moment. She reached out and gave his hand a quick squeeze. He turned and smiled at her, then stepped up the platform to get sorted into Gryffindor.

Hermione was almost getting sick of all the surprises this sorting when Professor McGonagall called out “Lovegood, Xenophilius!”. The eccentric young boy was sent to Ravenclaw after a long deliberation by the Hat. Remus was sorted quickly into Gryffindor too, and Hermione watched him timidly approach the boisterous table.

Hermione couldn't help zoning out again, the call for “Pettigrew, Peter!” shocking her out of her reverie. Hermione narrowed her eyes at the cowardly boy, and couldn't help but wish he would be sorted anywhere but Gryffindor where she knew he was going.

“Potter, James!” was next, and Hermione rolled her eyes affectionately as he bounced up the steps, and had barely set his bum on the stool, and had the Hat placed on his head before it was shouting out GRYFFINDOR! He smirked, and bounced over to the Gryffindor table where Sirius was shouting in triumph and stamping his feet.

Before she knew it, Professor McGonagall was calling her name, “Prewett, Hermione!” She stalked up to the stool, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible so she could join her new friends at the Gryffindor table.

The Hat got set on her head carefully. After much too long debating with the hat about where to go, it finally shouted GRYFFINDOR! She smiled happily, hurrying over to the loudly cheering table. She took a seat next to Sirius and an incredibly shy Remus Lupin.

She hadn’t gotten a good look at him when he was being sorted, so she now found herself staring in shock at him; younger, with less scars yes, but the same startlingly blue eyes, and messy sandy blonde hair. He sat, hesitant still, and clearly trying to ignore everyone else at the table. He jerked in shock when she held out her hand for him to shake. “Hermione Prewett. What’s your name?”

He hesitated a moment longer, before tentatively taking her hand and shaking it briefly, “Remus. Remus Lupin.”

She grinned at him, “Are you 007?” She asked cheekily, gratified when he laughed, the mirth making him look younger and lighter.

“I wouldn’t expect a Pureblood to know about Bond,” He finally said with a grin that made her heart hurt in the best possible way. She just winked at him and didn't say anything further. Sirius’ boisterous boos when Snape was sorted into Slytherin drowning out any possibility of talking for the moment.

Dinner soon appeared on the table in front of them, after Dumbledore gave his usual nonsense speech. A magnificent spread of succulent roast meats, every vegetable imaginable, giant yorkshire puddings and boats of thick, dark gravy laid out before them. They all dug in with a fervour, piling their plates with the food like it might disappear if they didn't. 

Conversation picked up around the table after they had all started to fill themselves up, until the prefects stood to usher them to their dormitories. They traced the familiar paths up to Gryffindor tower, and were soon standing in the common room, every new first year looking around the large, warm room in awe.

She soon found herself unpacking her trunk in her new dormitory, her new dorm-mates doing the same. She finished first and sat on the bed to watch as they all finished their unpacking. Lily was done first and sat down to, sending Hermione a small, slightly tremulous, smile.

“I’m sorry about the boys on the train.” Hermione was still furious with their treatment of Snape and Lily, but couldn't really see any way she could’ve stopped the beginning of the bitter rivalry.

Lily shrugged slightly, “It’s okay. They’re just arrogant arseholes. I haven’t got time for them anyway.”

Hermione sighed in agreement, and rolled her eyes, “I’ve only known them for a day, but I could’ve easily told you that.” She turned to the other girls in their dorm, Dorcas Meadowes and Alice Brown, including them in the conversation. “Are you all excited then? We’re finally here!”

Alice grinned brightly, her features lighting up, “Yes!!” She squealed happily, “Me and Andrew - that’s my twin brother - have been going on about it for years! Our parents got so annoyed with us.” She giggled, falling back on her bed with a thump.

“My parents refused to talk about Hogwarts by the time the end of August came around,” Dorcas said with a loud laugh, shaking her locs back out of her face, her dark eyes twinkling. They all laughed. 

“My parents have already had three children come before me, so I think they knew to just tune out the Hogwarts chatter.” Hermione said with a laugh. Even though she’d been to Hogwarts before, her excitement since receiving her letter had been palpable and her parents had indulged her mostly, though she could sometimes see Geraint’s eyes glazing over slightly.

They all laughed, though Hermione noticed Lily was looking distinctly uncomfortable where she was sitting on her bed.

“Are you okay, Lily?” Alice asked, clearly noticing her preoccupation too.

“Yes. I just-” She glanced away from them all. “None of you are Muggleborns?” She refused to make eye contact with any of them. “It’s just, is it always going to be like this? Where I'm feeling like there is so much I’ve missed out on?”

“I promise you won’t always feel like that!” Dorcas insisted. She leant forwards towards Lily. “You’re right, none of us are Muggleborn, these two won’t understand in the same way, because they’re Purebloods.” She gestured at Alice and Hermione, who couldn't do anything to say she really did understand, without giving everything away, “I’m a Half-blood though, mum is Half-blood and my dad is Muggleborn. I promise you it’s not as daunting as it seems now.”

Lily sniffled slightly, rubbing her hands across her eyes quickly, “Really?”

“Promise.” Dorcas said firmly. “We’ll all help you.” Hermione and Alice both nodded, smiling kindly at Lily.

“Severus warned there’d be lots of people who’d hold my blood status against me?” She asked tentatively.

Hermione hummed, “Unfortunately, yes. There will be people who’ll hold it against you, especially those in Slytherin.” Lily’s face fell at the last. “But no one in our House will.”

Dorcas and Alice both nodded firmly. “I’ll punch them if they do!” Alice declared, a fierce look on her face. 

Lily gasped, “Oh no! You don’t need to do that!”

“If anyone says anything to you, you tell us Lily!” Alice demanded. “We’re your new friends and we’re gonna stand up for you!” Lily gaped for a moment, before getting up from her bed and throwing herself at Alice for a hug. Soon the other two joined and their room was filled with girlish laughter and chatter for the rest of the night, steering away from the heavy subject.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like the whole list of students sorted, and what Houses they were sorted into I have uploaded it to the appendices.
> 
> McGonagall's speech is verbatim from Harry's sorting, cos I thought it would be amusing if she hadn't changed it at all. Also the idea for James and Sirius' little joke about how they'll be sorted was definitely influenced by The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie as I have read that AMAZINGGGG fic so many times haha!
> 
> Let me know what you thought!


	7. Samhain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Samhain celebration and a reveal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh another one haha!

**31st October 1971** **  
** **Gryffindor Common Room**

Fabian flopped down heavily next to Hermione on one of the sofas, falling over so his head landed in her lap, on top of the book she was reading. “Fabian!” She scolded. The room was completely empty except for them, so her voice echoed slightly, she hadn't realised that she was the only one left in the common room. She assumed everyone else must be at the Samhain feast, so she wasn’t too surprised Fabian had searched her out. She probably should’ve hid herself better, she mused to herself.

He grinned at her, “Yes, ‘Mione, love?”

She sighed long-sufferingly, “What do you want.”

“Well. It’s All Hallows Eve, Samhain, and you’re sitting here all secluded by yourself. Reading some book.” Fabian sighed obnoxiously, “So boring, ‘Mione!”

“Oh bugger off,” She tried to push him from her lap, but he was too heavy for it. So she just huffed at him. “I’m having lots of fun reading my book here, thank you, big brother.”

“Blergh!” Fabian exclaimed. “You’ve gotta come to the Samhain feast, ‘Mione. Come have some fun with people instead of your books.” He pouted pleadingly up at her. She sighed again, knowing there was no way she was going to get rid of him until she agreed.

“Urgh! Fine.” She stood up abruptly, causing Fabian to roll off the sofa onto the floor with a squeal he vehemently denied making. “Lead on, oh fearless one.” She gestured grandly once he’d pulled himself off the floor. 

He rolled his eyes, and grabbed her hand to pull her along behind him. Instead of pulling her down away from Gryffindor tower towards the Great Hall, he pulled her after him towards the fifth floor. “Where on earth are we going?” She demanded, trying to pull her arm back from his hold.

Fab turned and grinned back at her, “Patience, ‘Mione. You'll find out.” She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything further until he pulled her after him into one of the abandoned classrooms. 

A large cheer went up as they appeared, Gid at the front. They looked to be the only Gryffindors missing from the large group in the room. Gideon bound over with a huge grin on his face. “Come celebrate Samhain, little sister.”

The room was huge, and clearly had been set up specifically for this. There was a large hearth in the middle at one end of the room, currently empty and cold. There were also smaller fire pits scattered all over the room, also empty, each one had a group sitting around it on small cushions on the floor. There was a large table in the corner with food piled high, though seemingly no one had touched it yet. There were carved turnips in the form of jack-o-lanterns placed around the room, attached by strings to sticks and each one embedded with coal.

She found the rest of the first years at the back of the room, sitting in a loose circle around one such fire pit, drinking butterbeer and laughing. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to interrupt, but then Sirius looked up and a large grin lit up his face, “Hey look, she finally decided to join!” The rest of the group turned with big smiles to her.

“Come sit, Hermione.” Lily said, patting the open space beside her.

“What is this?” Hermione asked, settling into the space, and glancing around the room to take it in. There didn't seem to be any other Houses in here, which was interesting.

Dorcas, sitting the other side of Lily, leaned over, “Apparently it was a tradition started a long time ago by the then 7th years. Every year the Gryffindor House gathers here and celebrates Samhain after the feast.” Dorcas took a sip of her butterbeer, pausing for a moment as Peter, sitting on Hermione’s other side, passed her her own bottle of butterbeer. Hermione accepted it with great reluctance - not wanting to interact with the boy any more than necessary. “I think we’ll get sent back to our rooms straight after midnight and the older years stay partying later.”

“What happens at midnight,” Hermione asked with a frown, taking a long gulp of the cold butterbeer.

Dorcas shrugged, “Not sure. Just heard people talking about midnight a lot, so I'm assuming something is going to happen.” She chuckled, leaning back on her hands and looking relaxed.

Lily was staring off into the distance a little frown furrowing her brow, so Hermione elbowed her gently in the side, “You okay, Lils?”

Lily startled out of her reverie, turning to look at Hermione, “Oh! Yes, I’m okay. I’m just a little puzzled is all. Why Samhain? The feast earlier was for Halloween, right?”

Before Hermione could answer, Fab had plopped down between her and Lily, a small smile on his face, different to his usual mischievous grin, “I can explain that.” He turned to the rest of the group, “Pay attention, you lot. You may all know about Samhain, but I’ve been elected to explain to you ickle firsties what happens tonight.” 

The rest of the group turned to face him, interest and curiosity sparking in their eyes. “Right. First, as Wizards we’ve always celebrated Samhain first and foremost, there wasn’t the permeation of Christianity into our society as there was into Muggle society, so we kept a lot of the Pagan traditions we’ve always celebrated.” Hermione blinked, she knew her brothers were both intelligent, but they often preferred to hide that behind their jokes and laughter. She rather thought that they enjoyed people underestimating them. Fabian wasn't hiding it now though, “The past few years with the introduction of more Muggleborns into our world we’ve started celebrating Hallowe’en too. But we have permission from McGonagall to do this celebration. This room is specially designed for it.” He grinned widely.

“ _ Professor _ McGonagall, Fab.” Hermione corrected tirelessly. He just rolled his eyes at his sister.

“Oh wow.” Lily looked fascinated.

“So what do we do tonight then?” Sirius asked, leaning so far forward in his interest that he was practically falling over, and he had to balance himself by leaning on an already long-suffering Remus.

“The prefects are about to explain.” Fabian nodded towards the hearth and hauled himself to his feet. He joined with Gideon and a few of their friends at a different fire pit, as the two 7th year prefects for Gryffindor stepped to the front of the room, before the hearth.

“Alrighty.” Jonathan Smith, one of the prefects, grinned, bouncing on his heels eagerly. “Most of you know what happens, so we’ll be quick. Everyone needs to conjure a stick each. Those’ll be gathered into bundles and that’s what we light the hearth with.” He grinned, “A communal fire to restart our hearths.”

Rosalind Fawley, the other prefect, grinned as well. “Then once the fire is lit, one nominated person from each group,” She gestured at the little circles everyone was now sitting in. “Comes up here, and takes a flame from the communal hearth back to their small circle to light their own hearth.”

“First, you all need to conjure a stick. It’s a tough piece of magic, so we’ll be coming round and instructing everyone on it, who needs it.” They did just that, with the help of the younger prefects, and once they had done so, they lit the large hearth together with the small bundles of wood produced by each group in the room.

Finally, after the small torches were brought back to each fire pit in the room, they were allowed to dig into the food. It was consumed quickly, but only after they had invited their ancestors to join in through an ancient ritual. Not long after midnight the first to fourth years were indeed ushered out of the room, and ordered back to their dormitories, whilst the older years got gleefully drunk and stupid.

“That was so cool!” Peter exclaimed as they all made their way back to the common room. There were general exclamations in agreement from the rest of the group.

Hermione was walking linked arms with Lily on one side, Dorcas on the other, and Alice the other side of Dorcas. They were all grinning along with the boys, skipping their way through the halls. Joy in their hearts and heads. Hermione giggled, something she would deny ever doing. She’d only known these girls two months but they were already better friends then any girls - except Ginny and maybe Luna - had been before with her. They were a lot less giggly and stupid thank Merlin!

**4th November 1971** **  
****9am** **  
** **Gryffindor 1st Year Boys Dormitory**

Remus was lying sprawled across his bed exhausted, snoring lightly, when the door to the dormitory burst open and he jerked awake. Two nights ago was his third moon whilst at Hogwarts and he’d been finding it so difficult to combat both his friends’ incessant questions about where he was going, and also balance school work and the bone-deep tiredness that crept up on him every month before and after the moon.

Then last night, it was Sirius’ twelfth birthday, so they’d all stayed up stupidly late drinking butterbeer and planning pranks to pull for the rest of the school year. So it was safe to say he was bloody pissed when, not only did his so-called friends wake him up much too early the next morning, but they also pulled open his bed’s curtains letting the cold morning sun stream straight onto his face. He growled.

He could feel their stares on him, even if he hadn’t deigned to open his eyes yet. He briefly wondered if feigning sleep would afford him any peace. That fool's hope was dashed when Sirius, he knew it must’ve been bloody Sirius, reached out and poked him right in that tender place just under his arm. “Fuck you!” He blurted, rolling onto his back and opening his eyes to glare properly at Sirius - who  _ had _ been the one to poke him.

“Now, now, Remus. You’ve got to be polite.” Sirius scolded, wagging a finger at him.

Remus snorted, “You’re one to bloody talk.” He pulled himself up to sitting, scooting back against his headboard. “So…” He said awkwardly, when none of them said anything further and just kept kinda creepily staring at him.

“So, Remus.” James finally said, taking a seat at the end of Remus’ bed. “Got anything you want to tell us?”

Remus stared at James with wide eyes, wishing he was anywhere else right now. “Noo..” He said slowly, avoiding eye contact with all of them as though they were legilimens and would be able to read all of his thoughts and deepest darkest secrets (of which he had quite a few). 

Sirius leant over Remus, pulling out his wand, casting lumos, and holding it over their heads like they were in an interrogation scene in a bad Muggle tv show. “We know all your secrets, Remus.” Sirius finally said in a mock-spooky voice.

“Get away from me.” Remus snarled, pushing Sirius out of his face. Remus’ heart was racing, his palms sweating and his throat had gone dry. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing this would all just go away. There was no way they could’ve worked anything out this fast, surely. He was done for. They were gonna go to the Professors and he’d be kicked out of Hogwarts before he’d even been there for half a year.

Remus didn't notice that he’d started to hyperventilate, until suddenly Peter’s hand was resting on his shoulder and the smaller boy was murmuring quiet words to breathe slowly and surely in his ear. When he’d finally calmed down enough, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes. His friends were no longer looming over him. They all had worried looks on their faces. Peter still had a calming hand on Remus’ shoulder.

“Shit, sorry, mate.” James held his hands up. “We didn't wanna make you panic. We just thought-” James paused for a moment, considering. “Well, we weren't really thinking, I s’pose.” James wrinkled his nose, looking contrite.

“I-” Remus swallowed hard, still avoiding eye contact.

“Remus.” Sirius finally said quietly, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. “We know, mate.” He reached out and grabbed one of Remus’ hands in his own, James taking the other. They both had sincere looks on their boyish faces. “We don’t care. Promise you. You’re still the same to us, yea.” Sirius’ voice was firm, and James and Peter nodded firmly.

“You-” Remus swallowed again, barely able to get the words past his tight throat, “You  _ know _ ?” 

“We know, mate.” Sirius said again.

“And we don't give a shit!” James emphasised. “You’re still the same guy we’ve known the last two months. You’ve just got a furry little problem we didn't know about.” James shrugged with a grin. Sirius snorted, and Peter chuckled.

“But-” Remus hesitated, “You’re not going to have me kicked out?”

*“Of course we’re not going to have you kicked out!” Sirius exclaimed, looking offended. “Why would we do that?” Sirius scrunched his nose, and looked genuinely confused as to why Remus’ was asking or thinking that.

“Because… I’m a monster.”

It was James’ turn to snort now, “Oh stop being such a drama queen! You fold your socks, Remus.” Remus stuttered a half excuse out, but James waved him off, “Do forgive me if I’m not trembling at the sight of you.”*

Remus sniffed hard, not wanting to cry in front of his friends. “Thanks.” He finally whispered, frowning down at his hands still held in his friends’ hands. James and Sirius both squeezed his hands and Peter squeezed his shoulder. It was nice to have friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain where I got the info for the Samhain (apparently pronounced SAH-win) celebration. The words that James, Remus and Sirius say in the scene between the * I took from a post from hogwartshead-canons on tumblr.
> 
> Let me know what you thought!!
> 
> I've currently got a backlog of twenty chapters written past what's been posted for this fic, but I want to keep that, so each new chapter won't be posted until I've written another (eg: I've got 27 written, 7 posted, so not going to post 8 until I have 28 written).


	8. New friends and Basilisks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like it's been FOREVER since I updated this, but it's literally only been a week haha! I've gotten 28 chapters written so far, and I'm nearing the end of their fifth year, god this fic is going to be so much longer than I planned!!!
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter! More huge time skips now, until we get to the meat of the fic in a few chapters time :P

**1st September 1972** **  
** **11am** **  
** **Hogwarts Express**

The rest of their first year passed quickly, and with so little drama that Hermione had been shocked - no Voldemort, no three-headed dogs and impossible puzzles and trials to get through - only the usual tests, lessons, birthdays, and silly pranks pulled by the future Marauders. The only really notable thing that had happened was when a Hufflepuff boy in her year, Davey Gudgeon, had had a run in with the Whomping Willow after ignoring Dumbledore’s instructions to steer clear of the vicious tree and nearly lost an eye. Thankfully his injury had served as a rather good deterent for any other stupid students wanting to test their mettle against the tree.

Now she was on the train back to Hogwarts for her second year already, after a long relaxing summer spent reading in the massive Prewett library, or swimming in the underground pool down the end of the garden. She traversed the train, moving with it as it rocked on its way along the tracks that led it out of Kings Cross Station and away from London.

She headed for the compartment at the end where she’d sat every year for her first time at Hogwarts, and for her first year last year. She could hear laughter coming from there, Sirius’ loud barking laugh standing out amongst the other’s. She smiled and was just about to head further down the train to join them when she happened to glance into one of the compartments as she passed. It was empty except for a first-year with familiar wavy dark hair, though it was pulled back in a neat cue, and grey eyes that darted over to her in confusion when she entered the compartment and sat down opposite him.

For all that Regulus Black looked like his older brother, he had a clearly calmer countenance that made him seem older than his eleven years, and much more mature than his Gryffindor counterpart. “Who are you?” He asked sharply, eyes skimming over her, clearly assessing whether she was of pure enough blood for him to associate with her or not. He came to some kind of conclusion as his eyes narrowed a little, and he raised an eyebrow. For all her training and instruction, and the short upbringing she’d had with Iphemia and Geraint, the older Pureblood families, and their children who’d been brought up in their ways since birth, had an uncanny ability to determine one’s family with only a short assessment.

It stung to be so clearly found wanting, but she plowed through it like the Gryffindor she was, and stuck her hand out, determined to make friends with the future Slytherin, whether he wanted to or not. He’d also be essential to her future plans, and if he got a true friend in the process she wasn't against it. When he finally took it, she introduced herself, “Hermione Prewett. You’re Regulus Black, correct?”

“Yes.” He said slowly, eyeing her sceptically, clearly surprised she knew so quickly. She held back her scowl at his further prejudice. The Prewetts were just as old a family as the Blacks, and even if they weren't, that was no way to judge someone’s worth. “How do you know?”

“Your older brother is in my house.”

Regulus practically recoiled, “You’re a Gryffindor? Second year?”

Hermione laughed, “Yes, but please, don't hold it against me.”

Regulus snorted quietly, letting a small crack show in his much too serious veneer. “What do you want?”

“Nothing in particular. I’m not a Slytherin, I don’t approach people with the intent of getting something out of them.” A lie, but she wasn't exactly going to tell Regulus that right now. “You were sitting alone in here, and I thought you could use a friend.”

Regulus sneered, but she could tell she intrigued him. “I don’t need a  _ friend _ .” He said the last word like it was a swear.

It was Hermione’s turn to snort now, “Everyone needs a friend.”

**3pm** **  
** **Hogwarts Express**

Hermione spent a few hours sitting with Regulus, surprised that when he let his guard down a little he was actually rather easy to get on with, and kind of hilarious. They spent the time getting to know each other, and by the time she left him to find her other friends, she felt like she’d made good progress. He was, if not a friend yet, an acquaintance, and she could work with that. She just hoped that him getting sorted into Slytherin wouldn't change that too much.

When she left Regulus she turned away from the direction of the future Marauders compartment and went on the hunt for her brothers, whose usual compartment was further up the train towards the front. She got to their compartment, and peeked in to see them sitting with Kingsley. She waved to them when Gideon looked up, and slid open the door of the compartment a moment later. 

“Hey ‘Mione, where were you?” Gideon asked, patting the seat beside him. She took it gracefully, smoothing her robes out as she sat down, “We went and poked our heads in on those friends of your earlier and you weren't with them - either group.”

She smiled and rested her head briefly against Gid’s shoulder, “I was making a new friend. One of the first years.”

“Oh yea, love?” Fabian looked up from his game of exploding snap with Kingsley, “Who’s’at?”

“Regulus Black.”

“Black?!” Gideon’s voice practically squeaked, “He’s gonna be a Slytherin!”

“Oh, honestly.” She lifted her head off Gid’s shoulder, frowning at both her stupidly overprotective brothers in turn. “One, Sirius is my friend, and he’s a Black. Two, who cares about whether someone’s in Slytherin or not?”

“I do!” The twins said simultaneously.

“Mum was in Slytherin.” Hermione pointed out sharply, raising an eyebrow scathingly in a way that reminded both boys much too much of their decidedly Slytherin - kinda scary sometimes - mother.

“Yea, but she was one of the good ones.”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake.” Hermione practically threw her hands in the air in her exasperation. “Come find me when you get over your utterly preposterous House rivalries.” She said as a parting shot, as she got up and left her brothers in the compartment.

She found Frank and the girls before she found the future Marauders, so she joined them for the rest of the journey. Curling up next to Frank and resting her head on his shoulder, he wrapped an arm around her and she stayed there for the rest of the train ride, letting Lily, Dorcas, Alice and his conversation wash over her while she napped.

The sharp jolt as the train pulled into the station shocked her out of her nap, and she sat up abruptly, mumbling apologies to Frank as she went. He waved them away, “I don’t mind, ‘Min,” He was the only one who called her that and she found she quite liked it, surprising considering her general dislike for any nickname (not that it stopped anyone), “You’re my friend, I think you can have a quick nap on my shoulder.” He grinned a cheery lopsided grin at her, and she couldn't help grinning back.

She followed him and the girls off the train in a bit of a daze, and found herself in one of the thestral-drawn carriages beside them rattling up to Hogwarts through the drizzle that had started just before the Hogwarts express arrived. She desperately spent the ride keeping her eyes anywhere but the thestrals; they still unsettled her, no matter how long she’d been able to see them for.

The rest of the evening passed surprisingly quickly, and before she knew it she was settling into bed in her dorm, laughing with Alice and Lily at Dorcas’ unfortunate discovery that her owl had shit on half her clothes. She cuddled her kitten Hermes close, glad that he was just as well behaved as Crooks had been.

**9th February 1973** **  
** **10pm** **  
****Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** **  
** **Second-Floor Girl’s lavatory**

The first term of her second year passed by in what felt like a blink of an eye, Sirius and James had made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team - much to her distaste as she’d had enough of bloody Quidditch talk to last her a lifetime. The year passed much too quickly, and it was a new year and February before she knew it, and she was suddenly already halfway through her second year. To break up the monotony of attending classes she’d aced years ago, she decided now was as good a time as any to start executing some of her plans.

Hermione snuck into the abandoned girl’s lavatory on the second floor, pushing the door shut quietly behind her. She didn't notice the two ginger shadows that had been following her, and then stopped outside the door to have a whisper-shouted argument about whether to follow her in or not. 

She stepped further into the room, greeting Myrtle kindly when she floated out of the far toilet with a wail, “Hello, Myrtle.”

“You’re not scared?” The ghost asked, silvery tear tracks marked her miserable face.

“You’re just a ghost, Myrtle. You’re not particularly scary.” Hermione smiled at her, just about holding back a laugh at the befuddled look on Myrtle’s face. In all fairness to the young ghost, Hermione had been kind of petrified of her the first time she met her in her first time around in 2nd year, but she’d quickly gotten over it then.

Myrtle hmph’d and crossed her arms over her chest. She floated above Hermione as Hermione stepped closer to the sinks, which looked the same as they had twenty years in the future. They formed a row under the same large, cracked and spotted mirror. The copper taps shone dimly, still just as neglected now, and there in the middle - the one with the tiny snake scratched on the side. The only dud tap, though it served another function. 

She carefully placed the bag with the rooster she’d filched from Hagrid’s garden on the floor, and then pulled an obscure text on parseltongue out the little beaded bag that still never left her person. She’d found the book in the Prewett library over the summer and had been ecstatic. Just as she cracked it to find the translation for ‘open’, the door to the bathroom burst open and she fumbled the book and nearly dropped it.

She looked up in horror to see Fabian and Gideon standing framed in the door, matching suspicious looks on their usually joyful faces. Myrtle let out a loud screech, “Boys! In the girls bathroom!! BOYS!” And then with a very apt moan - considering her name - she disappeared down ‘her’ toilet in the far stall with a loud splash.

“Umm.. hi.” Hermione finally said after a couple of minutes of awkward silence where they stared at each other.

“‘Mione.” They said in that eerie way they had of speaking together every now and again.

“W-what are you doing here?” She stuttered, trying to subtly step in front of the bag with the silenced and sleeping rooster in.

“Well, you see, ‘Mione...” Fabian started stepping closer, and peeking around her to look at the bag.

“...That’s what we were coming to ask you.”

“Our goody two shoes little sister sneaking out of the common room so late?”

“Must be something going on.” As she was distracted by Gideon getting closer to her with narrowed eyes, Fabian reached over to pick up the bag.

“No!” She cried, grabbing Fabian’s arm at the last second. Both boys turned suspicious eyes on her, identical disappointed expressions on their faces that reminded her much too much of their father. 

“What in Merlin’s name is going on, ‘Mione.” Gideon finally said. “And don’t bullshit us.”

Hermione swallowed thickly, avoiding eye contact with her perceptive brothers whilst she tried to gather her thoughts. She’d never revealed to anyone where she was truly from; her parents and siblings all knew of course that she’d been Muggleborn until the blood adoption. They all knew she had been attacked and during the attack she had somehow ended up on their estate and her parents knew she had originally been 8 years older.

No one knew she was really from 1998.

It was such a burden, knowing all these things, and though she was determined to change all her friends' fates, it was hard not having anyone who knew. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell Fabian and Gideon, let them take some of this burden from her. Maybe they could even help her. And maybe they’d even be more careful in the future - there was no way she was letting Dolohov and those other unknown death eaters take her beloved older brothers from her.

She collapsed gracelessly to the floor, sitting down heavily as the story spilled from her lips, holding up her hands every time one of them tried to interrupt. She told them everything, from receiving her Hogwarts letter to the final battle that had destroyed all her friends, and nearly gotten her too.

“I don’t know what spell I was hit with, I’ve done so much research but it’s just not written down anywhere.” She sniffed, and wiped away the tears that had fallen. At some point during the story Fabian and Gideon had sat either side of her, and she was currently enveloped in a tight three-way hug. “I don’t know if the death eaters even knew what it did. And I don’t know who sent it at me, so I have no way of even searching them out to ask them.” 

Gideon’s arms tightened around her, and she could hear the angry tension in his voice when he said, “You’re not going near any bloody death eaters to ask them what spells they know, ‘Mione.” 

Fabian barked out a harsh laugh that didn't hold any humour, “Christ, ‘Mione. Why didn't you ever say anything before?”

She shrugged, “I thought it would be dangerous to tell anyone.” She looked away from their pitying looks, not wanting to see that expression on their faces, “Not even mum and dad know.” She whispered.

Fabian’s eyes were wide when she finally looked up and made eye contact, “We’re the only ones?” He whispered.

“Yes, and you’ve got to keep it that way.” Gideon opened his mouth to protest and she shook her head quickly. “It could be dangerous if this got out. So dangerous.”

“‘Mione.” 

She hadn’t wanted to say it, but she knew it was the perfect way to keep her brothers from ever saying anything to anyone. “Dangerous for me, Gid.” She glanced at Fabian too, “If Voldemort finds out what I know he’d have me taken before you could say anything.”

They both looked horrified at the idea, and she could see they were struggling, but in the end they both nodded their consent. She stood slowly, stepping away from them, and grabbing up the book again.

“Wait.” Fabian held up his hand for a second. “Are you going down to the bloody Chamber of Secrets right now?” He whispered in horror.

She shifted uneasily when they both sent her looks that were a mix between horrified and intrigued. “Yes.” She finally muttered. She had told them all about her second year, so they knew what hid behind the innocuous looking broken tap. She was fully expecting them to try to stop her, and then she’d have to fight them. She turned reluctantly back to look at her brothers, but they were both grinning now.

“Without us?” Gideon said with a cheeky wink.

“So inconsiderate of your poor brothers, ‘Mione.”

She rolled her eyes to hide the happiness that their willingness to accept her story, and then help her, had caused. “Fine. But if you get me killed, I’m going to come back and haunt your arses.” They both just kept grinning at her, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.

“Right. What do we do?” Fabian asked, coming up to stand beside her.

“We need to say open to the tap-” 

Before she could finish her sentence Fabian had bent over, and in his best commanding voice demanded that the tap “Open!” She burst out laughing, covering her mouth with one of her hands when Fabian sent her a glare, though chuckles still slipped out past her hand.

“-in Parseltongue, Fab.” She finished. At that Gideon started laughing too, and Fabian pouted as his siblings laughed at him. “If you’d let me finish you wouldn't have made a fool of yourself.” She said, still giggling.

“Ah, fuck you both.” Fabian said and flipped Gideon two fingers when he kept laughing.

“Here.” Hermione said, cracking open the book to the page she had bookmarked. “This is the translation for ‘open’ in Parseltongue” She pointed at a complicated looking word on the page. The twins bent over it, and then as one turned to look at her.

“Where’d you get this book, ‘Mione?” Gideon asked slowly.

“Our library, thank you very much. It’s not like I went skipping down Knockturn Alley or something.” She huffed, insulted that they’d be so suspicious.

Gideon hummed, looking back at the word again, “It doesn’t look too complicated I suppose.” Hermione nodded her agreement, both of them bending over the book to examine it.

There was a hissing sound, like the static on a Muggle TV, and then a series of clunks and clicks. Gideon and Hermione whirled around to a smug looking Fabian, who gestured at the book in Hermione’s hands. “It wasn’t that hard.” He said with a shrug.

Hermione huffed, and stepped up next to Fabian as the sink slid down out of view and a gaping black hole opened up beneath it. They all stared at it in horror for a moment, and shared a look. “Well, nothing for it,” Gideon finally said, and stepped up between his siblings, pushing them out of the way. Before either of them could react he had stepped into the blackness, plummeting down with a hoarse scream.

“Fuck me.” Fabian exclaimed, eyeing the hole. Before Hermione could insist she go next Fabian jumped into the hole and disappeared.

Hermione sighed irritably, “Merlin save me from the rashness of Gryffindor boys.” She quickly slid down the surprisingly long tunnel after them, the bag with the still sleeping rooster clutched in her arms. She slid out of the other end at a surprising speed, falling straight into a pile of old discarded bones that crunched as she tried to stand up. “This is gross.” She said as Gideon offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.

“Yup!” Fabian said cheerfully. Hermione sighed and led the way down the dark passage ahead of them. The floor was covered in further small skeletons from the animals the Basilisk must have been feeding on for the past forty years, and the walls were grimy, and covered in a slimy moss.

In only a couple of minutes of walking they came upon the snake-covered door Hermione remembered Harry describing to her. She gestured at Fabian, “Well, resident Parseltongue expert. Want to ask this one to open too?” 

Fabian bowed sarcastically to her, and did just that. For a moment nothing happened and they all exchanged worried glances, but then there was a click and the snakes all started writhing. The door swung open with an ominous groan, and a horrid smell leached out into the small area they were standing in.

In the end it was all rather anticlimactic. They’d entered the cavernous room slowly, to see the enormous Basilisk (through the mirrors Hermione conjured, just in case) fast asleep at the other end of the room. Hermione had quietly extracted the rooster from the bag, unsilenced it and woken it up. It had stood there and looked almost indignant for a moment, doing nothing. 

Just when Hermione was about to panic, Gideon had cast the sunlight charm and the rooster had crowed loudly. There was a thud as the head of the Basilisk, which they hadn’t noticed lifting and turning in their direction, fell back to the floor. It was dead.

Hermione had quickly collected as many fangs as possible, carefully not touching any parts of the fangs, using an old t-shirt to handle them and wrap them up. They’d then navigated their way out of the chamber using a school broom that Hermione had borrowed, Fabian taking her up the long tunnel first, then going back for Gideon.  When they were all standing in the bathroom at the top of the tunnel, their mission a success, they all grinned manically at each other, and snuck back to Gryffindor tower giggling and shushing each other as they went. Hermione did her best not to consider how much she still had left to do, and just live in the happiness of what they had achieved tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought! I love hearing your predictions hehe, especially when I'm already so far ahead and some of you guess stuff correctly :D


	9. Newly crowned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More new friendships with Slytherins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe we're already at third year! It's so weird to be posting chapters so far back when I'm already three years ahead where I'm writing haha!
> 
> I've posted a chapter to the appendices that is relevant to this chapter.

**30th June 1973** **  
** **11am** **  
** **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

March to June passed in a whirl of birthdays and classes, and before she knew it, the school was gathered on the large lawn by the Black Lake for the 7th years graduation. Hermione was sat between an incredibly bored James, and a pissed off Sirius, and even though they were only about 10 minutes into the ceremony she was getting just as pissed off as Sirius.

“What on earth has gotten into you?” She hissed at Sirius when he mumbled angrily under his breath for the fifth time in as many minutes.

When he turned and glared at her she just glared back until he broke and looked away, “Narcissa.” He finally said.

“What about her?” Hermione asked confused, looking up at the beautiful blonde waiting her turn to walk across the stage.

“I tried, you know?” Sirius muttered, looking back up at Hermione through the curtain of his black hair - he’d been growing it out this year and it was nearly at his shoulders now.

Hermione put a soft hand on his knee, which he stared at in silence for a moment, “Tried what, Sirius?”

Sirius shrugged, “Dunno. To stop it.”

Hermione frowned, guessing what ‘it’ probably was, but asking anyway, because it looked like Sirius needed to get this off his chest. “It?”

“Any of it, all of it.” He waved a hand vaguely. “She’s not as bad as the rest of our family, you know? Her and Andromeda. We got on before I got sorted into Gryffindor.” Sirius scowled, watching as Narcissa Black climbed the stage and shook Professor Dumbledore’s hand to polite applause. “Now she’s being sold off like fucking cattle to Lucius Malfoy.” He sneered, jerking his chin towards where Lucius Malfoy was seated in the crowd with Cygnus and Druella Black, and his own father Abraxas Malfoy.

Hermione didn't say anything, just grabbed Sirius’ hand and squeezed it tightly. He sent her a grateful look, and they sat in silence for the rest of the ceremony.

**3rd September 1973** **  
** **8am** **  
** **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** **  
** **Great Hall**

Summer was uneventful, and before Hermione knew it, it was the beginning of her third year already. The morning of their first day of classes dawned bright and early, and her and Lily were the first of their year sitting at the breakfast table, making it a rather peaceful morning. The newly crowned Marauders - a name they’d apparently decided on for themselves over the summer - were all still in bed.

Dorcas and Alice settled into the seats opposite Lily and Hermione, the latter scanning the table and then turning back to her friends with a frown, “Where are the boys?”

Hermione scoffed, “Still in bed probably.”

Lily rolled her eyes, “They’re going to be late for the first classes back!” She exclaimed.

Frank suddenly appeared beside them and slid quietly onto the bench beside Hermione, “They’re not down yet?” He asked, a frown marring his normally cheerful face.

Hermione and Lily huffed in unison, something that made Dorcas laugh loudly, “No, of course they aren’t.” Hermione said sharply, staring at the Great Hall doors as though it would make the boys appear.

Frank was still frowning, “But they weren’t even in the room when I woke up an hour ago.”

Four heads whipped ‘round to stare at Frank in horror. “You mean, they’ve been up and about the castle for the last hour without anyone knowing?! They could be doing anything!” Lily’s voice got higher and higher and she seemed to be getting slightly hysterical.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine Lily,” Alice said, reaching across the table and resting a calming hand on Lily’s arm. The redhead was practically hyperventilating.

Lily dropped her head in her hands, “It’s only the third day back at the school, couldn't they have waited?” She moaned into the table.

Alice and Hermione shared an amused look. Whilst Alice found their pranks kind of entertaining, and Hermione tolerated them because she knew the terrible future of the Marauders, Lily utterly despised their antics and spent every spare moment she could berating them.  “Well don't look now, but there they are.” Dorcas said, she found the Marauders' pranks hilarious as long as they didn't endanger or hurt anyone.

Hermione’s head whipped ‘round and when she saw the smug grins on the Marauders’ face she jumped to her feet and hurried to intercept them near the doors. “What have you done?” She hissed, getting up close to James and Sirius - the usual culprits.

James held a hand to his chest, and in mock-indignation, said “What makes you think we’ve done anything, ‘Mione, we’re but humble men and-”

Hermione waved her hand and cut off James’ long winded explanation she was sure was coming, “You all look stupidly smug and you disappeared from your room for an hour.” She crossed her arms over her chest firmly, “I know you’ve done something.” She narrowed her eyes at Peter - usually the first to break.

“Absolutely nothing at all, Kitten. I’m insulted you think so lowly of us.” Sirius was pouting when she looked at him. She narrowed her eyes at them as they side-stepped her and headed for some free seats near the rest of the third years. 

She grabbed Remus’ arm as he went to pass her, narrowing her eyes at him when he just looked back calmly at her, “What have you done?” She pleaded with him, sending him a pout when he just chuckled and pulled her back to the table with him by linking his arm through hers.

“Absolutely nothing, love.” He left her at her seat between Frank and Lily, and walked a bit further down the table to sit with the rest of the Marauders.

Hermione huffed, and sat back down with a pout. “What did you find out?” Lily demanded, sending the gathered Marauders a glare. 

Hermione frowned when she noticed that James wasn't in any way upset by Lily’s annoyance, in fact he didn't seem to even notice. Everything Hermione had ever heard about Lily and James and their relationship was that James had fancied her from the beginning. Maybe those had been over-exaggerations? Maybe he would start liking her in the future? Hermione resolutely ignored the pang she felt in her chest at the thought of James and Lily together. They were both her friends; she should want the best for them. And she was much too young to be thinking about bloody romance yet.

Breakfast surprisingly passed without incident, considering the third years were all on tenterhooks waiting for an explosion or some kind of outcome to the mystery of the Marauders disappearance and subsequent smug looks.

As breakfast came to an end, Professor McGonagall started making her way down the table, handing the new timetables to the third years with their options on. Hermione took hers gratefully, inordinately pleased that she had already tried taking all of the classes at once, and knew which were worth her time, and which weren't. This time she’d stuck to the ones she really wanted to do; Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies (she’d decided she really needed to know the differences in the Muggle world now to when she grew up). 

She leaned over to compare her timetable with her friends, glad that she shared some of them with at least one of her friends.

“Urgh!” Sirius shoved himself in between Lily and Hermione dramatically thumping his head down on the table.

“Sirius?”

“Yea, Kitten?”

“Did you seriously move over here just to dramatically put your head down on the table where we had to pay attention to you?” Remus and James snickered where they were standing behind them.

“We have first period potions, Kitten.” Hermione shrugged, not minding too much when they had potions, considering she enjoyed it. “With the  _ Slytherins _ !”

“Oh, honestly!” Hermione rolled her eyes and got up. Lily, Frank, Alice and Dorcas rising with her as well. “Get over it, Sirius.” With that she stalked out of the room, Lily in stride with her. The rest of the third year Gryffindors followed too, the Marauders grumbling as they went.

**  
** **9am** **  
** **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** **  
** **Potions classroom**

Professor Slughorn waved the unenthusiastic Gryffindor third years into the room jovially, and ruined their year with just a handful of words. “Welcome, welcome all, this year I will be implementing a seating plan, so please stay standing at the front.”

They all shared horrified looks, and kept quiet despite all wanting to protest. When the Slytherins entered the room, they were all greeted with the same information, and Slughorn wilfully ignored the sneers on the faces of his House’s students. 

“Right.” He clapped his meaty hands together and stood at the front of the room with a large grin. “There will be two Gryffindor students and two Slytherins to each table. Each table will thus have two pairs for any group work, the pairs will be one Slytherin and one Gryffindor each.”

Hermione stared wide-eyed at the man, wondering if he’d lost his mind, trying to get stubborn Gryffindors and Slytherins to work together.

“Alright, back right, Meadowes, Lupin, Avery and Carrow.” Slughorn gestured.

“Which Carrow, sir?” Amycus Carrow sneered, eyeing Dorcas like she was a piece of meat. She took a quick step back.

Slughorn didn't even seem to notice, and without looking up from the room plan he was studying, answered, “Alecto Carrow.” He looked up and upon seeing no one had moved, waved his hands impatiently, “Go on, go on! Now, front right, Snape, Prewett, Evans and Talkalot.” Hermione sighed and followed the instructions, taking a seat at the table, between Lily and Snape. “Front left, Brown, Black, Zabini and Mulciber. That leaves Pettigrew, Potter, Longbottom, Rosier and Carrow on the final table.” Slughorn looked up from his list again and beamed when he saw them all sitting where he’d put them.

“Wonderful, now we’re starting in pairs today. For the next two weeks you’ll be working on studying poison antidotes, and we will end with creating the antidote to uncommon poisons.” Slughorn beamed again, gesturing to the cauldron standing next to his desk. 

Hermione stifled a chuckle at Snape’s sour expression watching Slughorn prattle on. Hermione was startled out of her reverie by Slughorn announcing her name and Snape’s together - apparently he was going to be her partner. She glanced over at Lily who looked kind of sad to not be paired with Snape, but also partially relieved. Hermione didn't blame her, Snape was a hard partner, especially for potions - something he knew he was superior at - and Lucinda Talkalot was actually rather relaxed and easy to get on with for a Slytherin.

The rest of class passed rather quickly, Slughorn droning on about information Hermione had known for years. Unfortunately a lot of her classes for the last two years had been like this - and she knew McGonagall had a lot less respect for her in this timeline than she had for Hermione Granger in the future - and it looked like it would be the same for the foreseeable future too.

“Now I strongly suggest you meet up with your partner at least once between now and our next class Thursday to discuss the material.” Slughorn waved his hand over his cauldron, vanishing the potion in it. “Dismissed.”

Snape leaned over slightly closer to Hermione, though he kept a careful distance. “I’ll see you in the library at 7 tonight.” Before she could offer her agreement or not, Snape had risen from his seat, his books gathered in his arms, and swept from the room in a manner incredibly similar to that of his future self. Hermione blinked, apparently she had a meeting with Snape tonight.

“Come on, Hermione.” Lily was standing by her stool, “We’ve got Herbology now.” Hermione smiled up at Lily, gathered her own stuff and followed her friend out of the room, where they met up with Dorcas and Alice.

**5th September 1973** **  
****7pm** **  
** **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

Hermione had spent her last two evenings with Severus Snape in the library, hidden away at a table in the back of the large room, going over information about poisons and their antidotes, and barely speaking. She was making her way to the library for the third evening in a row, and trying to work out how to go about actually making friends with the boy. As much as she had respected him as her Professor, she hadn't thought he was a nice person. She felt obligated to try and change some of that for him, and if it got her a friendship with a boy who would be a pivotal piece in the future war, well that was just a bonus.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice Fabian and Gideon matching her stride to the library until they stepped in front of her and blocked her way.

“Ah, little sis. Where are you off to?”

“We knew you loved books, but is it really necessary to spend every evening in the library?”

The twins shared a conspiratorial look, and then turned inquisitive eyes on their younger sister. Hermione gaped at her brothers for a moment, unable to come up with an answer for a moment, she hadn’t exactly thought she’d been doing anything suspicious.

“I- I have work I need to do for potions tomorrow.”

“Hmm yes.” Fabian tapped a finger on his chin.

“With that little Slytherin friend of yours, right?” Gideon questioned, bending over to look Hermione in the eye.

“Yes. And?” Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, “Haven’t we had this discussion about Slytherins before?” She asked sternly, channeling their mother when she was having a go at them. The twins, all too familiar with how vicious their Slytherin mother could be, and how Hermione had inherited the same scary traits, took a hasty step back.

“Nothing, nothing of course.”

“No, of course not, ‘Mione.”

The twins exchanged a look, and a glance around the corridor furtively, “It’s not to do with your mission is it?” Fabian whispered as quietly as possible.

Hermione huffed, and rolled her eyes, “No it’s bloody not.” She swatted her brothers both lightly on their arms, and then quickly side-stepped them and carried on towards the library, “Maybe I just want to have a friend.” She called back over her shoulder, ignoring their twin scoffs of horror at the idea of being friends with Slytherins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!! (also please let me know about any continuity issues [politely!!]. I've got a document dedicated to it, but things always slip through the gaps lol).
> 
> I've just finished writing fifth year, now writing the beginning of sixth year! I don't even think I'm halfway through yet haha :O


End file.
